Statement by the President on the 70th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration

Seventy years ago, a group of visionaries laid the foundations for the economic, social and moral reconstruction of the post-war period, giving birth to the greatest project for progress in the history of mankind.
“Making Europe is making peace. It is making men work together beyond their geographical boundaries."

But, as Churchill said, if politics is nourished by ideals, it then needs shared directions, choices, rules and institutions.

The Schuman Declaration is the most remarkable political manifesto of the modern era, based on progressive concrete achievements grounded in a “de facto solidarity”.

Today, Europe is facing an unprecedented challenge, shaken by a pandemic, having to make decisive choices that will determine its fate and that of the world as a whole.

It still needs the strength of this vision and the practical nature of this Community method.
But it also needs imagination, daring, empathy and compassion, emotional intelligence, the ability to take risks together and to dare to hope in a common destiny.

 

Today, we are either a Union or we are nothing.

To heal and protect, rebuild and relaunch a solidarity-based, entrepreneurial and sustainable Europe.

At all costs, for the rebirth of Europe and of the world.

Work organisation