The war in Ukraine has provided us with a brutal reminder of the initial purpose of the creation of the EU – maintaining long-standing peace on the continent. Unfortunately, we have managed to forget this. At a certain point, the European narrative of peace was no longer attractive, especially for the younger generation. Now, we are learning again that, in the words of Albert Camus, "peace is the only battle worth waging" and that we must keep going with our efforts to bring change where it is needed.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine brought back the worst nightmare of twentieth century – war on the European continent. The territorial integrity of a country is again being questioned. This comes along with the risk of famine and genocide. Russian aggression goes against everything that is "European" and everything that is "democratic", and Europe cannot and will not tolerate it. Peace is the foundation of the European Union. This union was founded on the power of law not on the law of power.

Ten years ago, the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of over 60 years of peace, reconciliation and democracy. The EU must continue to be, and become an even stronger guardian of peace and democracy on European soil and beyond.

The biggest challenge for Europe now is war and its consequences – migration, further inflation, rising energy prices and the need for militarisation. However, previously existing challenges such as COVID-19, fighting climate change or building Europe's strategic autonomy remain. We need to address all of this and keep helping our neighbours – the Ukrainian people. In this context, I welcome the conclusions of the EU informal summit in Versailles, which reflect the EESC's recommendations to immediately stop military action on Ukrainian soil, to protect people in Ukraine and the country's refugees and to strengthen Europe's autonomy, notably in the energy sector.

These are not easy times, especially since we are still feeling fatigue after COVID-19 and recent lockdowns. However, we need to keep up the current spirit of unity. One point for me is sure: a resilient democracy builds its strength and vitality from what the Greek called "demos" – the people, be it employers, workers or citizens at large! Only united can we build our European future.

We have just found the emotional link and sense of ownership of the European project that we have been recently missing – PEACE.

Christa Schweng
EESC President