Round table Disinformation and democratic risk one month before the European vote
curated by Dipartimento di Beni Culturali of Università di Bologna and Centro Europe Direct della Romagna

A dialogue between Alberto Pagani and Michele Marchi / Università di Bologna DBC, Davide Sacco and Agata Tomšič / ErosAntEros, Michele Lapini / photographer

Coordinated by Sara De Ponte / Università di Genova


Michele Marchi is professor of Contemporary History at the Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus, where he teaches Political History of European Integration, History of Euro-Mediterranean Political Systems since 1945 and History of the Modern and Contemporary Mediterranean, among other subjects. He is vice president of the Oriani House Foundation and a member of the Il Mulino Association for Culture and Politics. His main research interests concern the political history of contemporary Europe and the relationship between domestic politics and the process of European integration in the second half of the twentieth century. Among his recent publications France and Italy so near, so far (with D. Caviglia), “Ventunesimo Secolo,” 42/2018; Democristiani, Chiesa e cattolici negli anni di Craxi (with G. Acquaviva and P. Pombeni), Marsilio, 2018; Italian Democracy and Republic between the Antifascist Victory and Cold War, in “Ricerche di Storia Politica,” July/2022; Presidenzialismo a metà. French Model, Italian Passion, Il Mulino, 2023; Jacques Delors, in “Il Mulino,” 1-2024.

Alberto Pagani is a lecturer and advisor in the security sector, he was a member of parliament from 2013 to 2022, first in the Transport and Telecommunications Committee, then PD group leader in the Defense Committee and delegate in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Bologna , IASD course from the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, a Master’s degree in Global Strategy and Security from SUISS in Turin, a course on civilian aspects of crisis management at the European Security and Defense College, and advanced training in Intelligence and National Security, at the University of Florence and DIS. He has been a public administrator and political executive, taught at the Faculty of Sociology of the University of Urbino and lectured for UNICAL, SIOI, LUMSA, LINK Campus University, Capri Campus, 24ORE Business School Master, for intelligence analysts of the Italian FF.AA. Information and Security Department. He has also produced several publications on intelligence, geopolitics, national security and terrorism.

Sara De Ponte, Ph.D. candidate in European Studies at the University of Genoa, for the curriculum in History of the Idea of Europe and European Integration. In the area of History of European Construction, she intends to pursue a research project that deepens the role played by Rome-Paris relations in the process of European integration from 1971 to 2001. She received her master’s degree with highest grades in International Cooperation on Human Rights from the University of Bologna with a thesis in Political History of European Integration and Cooperation aimed at investigating EU-Turkey relations and their implications in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Winner of the Masterclass for Young European Politicians at the Latvian Transatlantic Organization (LATO), Rīga, Latvia, she took part in seminars on the role of negotiation and communication, discussions and conferences on the structure of European security, democracy, strategic communication, and the role of NATO and the EU in the region, which enabled her to consolidate and deepen her understanding of European integration and Europe’s strategic role in the international context.

ErosAntEros was born from the union of Davide Sacco and Agata Tomšič in 2010. Their artistic research brings forward an engaged theater that does not give up the aesthetic value of form, in a strong relation whit the history, the present and the places in which is created, with the aim to connect theater to life and make the imagination a weapon to transform reality. Over the years they have been produced and supported by important theatrical institutions, such as Emilia Romagna Teatro ERT / Teatro Nazionale, TNL – Théâtre National du Luxembourg, Ravenna Festival, Campania Teatro Festival, Teatro della Toscana, TPE – Teatro Piemonte Europa, Teatro della Tosse. They have been involved in important international projects at: the Festival d’Avignon (in 2023 and 2022 with European Theatre Convention; in 2018 with ProHelvetia and MiBACT); the F.I.N.D. plus festival of the Schaubühne in Berlin (in 2015, with Emilia Romagna Teatro and Prospero Project); the Grotowski Institute of Wroclaw and the Odin Teatret / Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium of Holstebro (between 2014 and 2017). Since 2018 they are directing POLIS Teatro Festival.

Michele Lapini is a Bologna-based Italian freelance photojournalist. He studied Development Economics and International Cooperation and holds a Master’s in Development, Cooperation and Human Rights. His work is characterized by a deep interest in social, political and environmental issues: he has been chronicling the impact of the climate crisis in Italy on local areas and communities for several years and has been following the struggles of social and environmental movements. He also collaborates with NGOs, following international cooperation projects. He has been collaborating with La Repubblica since 2015 and is a co-founder of Arcipelago-19, a network of photographers. In addition to his work as a photojournalist, he also works in various sectors: cinema, publishing and public art. His work has been published by Internazionale, Stern, El Pais, L’Espresso, The Guardian, Die Zeit, Nature, and others. He won the 2021 Environmental Photographer of the Year award in the Future Landscapes category and the 2021 Italian Sustainability Photo Award for best single photograph.