Celebrated annually on May 9th, Europe Day marks the transformative moment in European history known as the Schuman Declaration. On May 9th, 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman delivered a speech proposing the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community. This pooling of vital resources would intertwine the economies of France and West Germany so deeply that war between them would be not only unthinkable but “materially impossible.”
Schuman’s vision laid the foundation for the European Union we know today. This bold proposal came just five years after the devastation of World War II, a conflict that had torn the continent apart and left millions dead. The Schuman Declaration wasn’t simply idealistic; it recognized that lasting peace and prosperity in Europe depended on cooperation and a shared sense of purpose.
Echoes of Churchill
British wartime leader Winston Churchill, a champion of European unity even during the war, had articulated similar ideas. In a 1946 speech, he memorably declared:
“The first step in the re-creation of the European family must be a partnership between France and Germany. There can be no revival of Europe without a spiritually great France and a spiritually great Germany.”
Churchill’s words and Schuman’s declaration aligned with a broader recognition that Europe, if it were to survive and thrive, must transcend the nationalist rivalries that had plagued it for centuries.
Europe Day Today: A Reminder and a Call to Action
Today, Europe Day is celebrated all across the European Union. It’s a day of festivals, open houses at EU institutions, and activities designed to foster a sense of European identity. Simultaneously, it’s a time to reflect on the hard-won achievements and the ongoing challenges the EU faces.
Europe Day now stands as a reminder of the shared values and goals that bind European nations. It celebrates hard-won unity in a region marked by centuries of turmoil. However, it’s also a day for critical reflection. As European nations grapple with rising populism, divisions on migration policy, and the war in Ukraine, Europe Day forces us to confront the fragility of unity and the ongoing work necessary to maintain it.
The legacy of Europe Day compels a recommitment to its founding principles: a willingness to compromise, a belief in shared destiny, and action against those who seek to undermine cooperation for narrow nationalistic gain. Only then can Europe continue as a beacon of peace and prosperity in the 21st century.
It’s a reminder, yet, celebrations are tempered by rising nationalism, an ideology that always leads to war and suffering, without exceptions. This has been a never-ending story during European history, and is again manifested in the ongoing Ukraine war that threatens the stability of Europe. To use German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s words:
“Europe Day reminds us that peace cannot be taken for granted. History has taught us that we must always defend the values of cooperation and integration that Europe embodies.”
Europe Day events this year emphasised the need to protect the European project against internal and external forces that threaten to destabilise it. Europe Day remains not only a celebration but a reminder of the ongoing effort toward a prosperous, peaceful, and unified Europe.
Written by
LarsGoran Bostrom
