This year too, we are celebrating Europe’s unity in a difficult geopolitical situation. Seventy-five years have passed since the Schuman Declaration, and Finland is also marking its 30th anniversary as a member of the Union — yet at the same time, war continues in Europe. The European Union’s role in Ukraine’s peace negotiations appears to have been pushed into the background, and unrest is stirring in many member states.
Still, it would be misleading to portray the EU as a failed project. Disputes between member states are very limited compared with earlier major wars, and the benefits of free movement and a more unified Europe show up every day in citizens’ lives. For us as citizens of the European Union, the EU is in fact a rather successful project.
However, we must make sure that the Union’s actions live up to its values at its external borders and globally as well. The EU must not let people drown in the Mediterranean, nor turn a blind eye to the war in Gaza. Ukraine’s EU membership cannot remain mere words, and the Western Balkan countries must be supported so that membership can finally become a reality. The EU must also be a strong counterforce to Russia and set a progressive example against the regressive politics of major powers.
In difficult times, the EU must lean even more firmly on what its story is built on: human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights. Only in this way can the EU credibly act as a promoter of unity and peace.
Happy Europe Day!