Europe Day, celebrating Schuman’s courage

The idea of a politically integrated Europe has existed for at least 75 years, and the official day that commemorates this aspiration is 40 years old. It falls on May 9th. On that day in 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed to the Quai d’Orsay in Paris the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the first step towards economic integration. Europe needed to revive its economy after the war, and collaborating on these essential materials seemed like the right path. The proposal was quickly accepted by West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Thus, the European Coal and Steel Community was born, the precursor to the EEC, and eventually the EU.

Europe Day was conceived in 1985 by the European Council, meeting at the end of June at the Sforza Castle in Milan, but for years, the focus on political Europe was not as prominent as it is today. Today, this celebration calls everyone to reflect, based on the progress made and the various crises that periodically arise. Today, the European Union is still primarily an economic institution, but it also has a Parliament and bodies with legislative power, whose decisions are adopted by 27 states. And the 20 countries of the Eurozone even coordinate a common currency. But when we speak of Europe today, it primarily refers to a political and cultural identity, in the face of challenges that go beyond development goals and concern the role in the international arena, alliances, and diplomatic capacity. And on that front—recent events have shown—there is still much inconsistency.

Certainly, the Europe of the founding fathers was inspired by a vision of peace. Today, is the Old Continent still a stabilizing factor? Many hope so, and interpretations of the rearmament plan in this regard are mixed. Peace is more necessary than ever. This was reaffirmed by the new Pope (during his first speech), the American Leo XIV, who urged everyone to build bridges and dialogue.

This is what Schuman said in his founding speech of the Community:

“World peace cannot be safeguarded except by creative efforts, proportional to the dangers that threaten it. The contribution that an organized and vital Europe can bring to civilization is essential for maintaining peaceful relations. France, for over twenty years a pioneer of a united Europe, has always had as its essential goal to serve peace. Europe has not been made: we had war. Europe will not be made in one go, nor will it be built all at once; it will arise from concrete achievements that first create a de facto solidarity. The union of nations requires the elimination of the age-old conflict between France and Germany: the action taken must primarily concern France and Germany. To this end, the French government proposes to focus immediately on a limited but decisive point. The French government proposes to place all French-German production of coal and steel under a common High Authority, within an organization to which other European countries can join.”

The European Order of Merit
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, the Presidency of the European Parliament decided to establish the European Order of Merit: this is the first civil honor awarded by an institution of the European Union. According to the announcement made in the Chamber, this new distinction is meant to recognize those who have made a significant contribution to European integration and the promotion of its core values. While all Member States, except Ireland, have national honors, until now, no such recognition existed at the community level.