To mark Europe Day and the 70th anniversary of the Schuman declaration, the European Parliament hosts a “stay-at-home” Open Day, where doors are opened to citizens virtually, with a programming schedule across EP media channels. This year, the focus is on EU citizens, particularly those directly helping in the crisis, as well as on informing citizens about and debating on EU solidarity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. David SASSOLI, EP President will meet with organisations working for solidarity in Europe, in Brussels.

Brussels

ceremony

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

70th anniversary of the Schuman declaration (T)

Open day 2020 (T)

Europe Day - Schuman Declaration Anniversary 70 Years of Solidary: extracts from the meeting between David SASSOLI and organisations working for solidarity in Europe

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/4357688/I190932Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, How in this moment are still actual the words with which Robert Schumann opened his statement on May 9 of 70 years ago. Europe &ndash; he said - will not be able to realize itself once, nor will it will be built all together. It will arise from concrete realizations that create a de facto solidarity. Vision and pragmatism are the ingredients to realize more solidarity, more equality, and better conditions for all in freedom.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, We're going to have to be able to mobilize a large amount of resources to quickly recover a completely stranded economy. And we will have to do it fast because citizens and businesses cannot wait. We have a great responsibility ahead of us, we must protect Europe and its borders from external interference. Because at this stage we are very fragile and vulnerable, and there is a need to protect and defend our common cultural industrial touristic heritage, and also the riches of each member state from speculative actions. We want to say it clearly: we do not want Europe to be land of conquest because if we lose our value we can become underlings and compromise our way of life.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Democracy has not gone out of fashion. In Europe it has not gone out of fashion. But it must be updated to continue to be a tool to improve people's lives. Our conference will have to live on an intense debate and from the bottom, not in a closed academic circle or a in a simple institutional debate. Reforming democracy is the objective we need to pursue and we must do so by fielding useful tools and providing for rapid decision-making mechanisms. The right of veto in the functioning of the European decision-making process is an anachronistic instrument, and this crisis with the need for urgent and timely measures is a clear demonstration of this.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Inviting to launch the message of Pierre Rabhi

SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre Rabhi, founder of the Colibr&#236; movement, The moment of crisis that we are all experiencing is a moment that I consider initiatory because this virus affects humanity as a whole. This gives us the right measure of our power. It's a masterful, global lesson. We are dealing with a phenomenon that calls into question all our practices, our references, our habits, our way of perceiving life, our actions. The modernity, with the progress it has brought, it's kind of proud to dominate everything. Thus, we are realizing that we cannot dominate everything because we ourselves are biological beings and we are governed by the law of life as it has been organized on this planet. I do not see how Europe can survive without mutual help, without solidarity, without genuine cooperation.

SOUNDBITE (French), Stephan Heyemans, President of the SAMU Social Belgium , Today, the Social Samu has opened more than 10 structures and hosts 24 hours a day. 1200 people. The centre opened in the Helmut Kohl building, made available by the European Parliament, opened on 29 April and welcomes 100 homeless women every day 24/24 hours by offering them showers, meals and, above all, a room in the former offices of European Parliament officials. This is a very strong symbol of solidarity which Parliament shows. It's an extremely vulnerable audience. You know that the period of confinement has more than doubled the violence against women and so it is an important sign of the public's welcome.

SOUNDBITE (English), Mill Permentier , Chez nous - Bij Ons , Chez nous - Bij Ons welcomes everyone, no matter religion, status, gender. However, due to the measures taken by the Belgian government to combat COVID-19, we have had to adapt our modus operandi, just as you said before. As of today, we welcome an average of 50 people a day at our premises. We provide them with coffee, tea, breakfast, food donations from the Brussels food bank. And since last week, fresh meals can be provided by you, the European Parliament. Thank you. For the latter we are very grateful. And would love to continue receiving your food donations even after the COVID crisis is over. Currently, we have to limit the number of people entering our reception hall and we actually try to keep everyone at safe distance from each other.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Luca Casarini, Head of Mission of Mediterranea Saving Humans, The ships and military aircraft of European states and agencies have been assigned to tasks ranging from border control to that on arms deals that thrive towards Libya. But what about people? What about the human beings? We mourn, Mr President, people tens of thousands of dead at the bottom of that sea. Women, men and especially children who were left drowning as they were trying to to escape from the Libyan hell where they suffer rapes, tortures and violence of all kind. These deaths are the death of Europe. Who hates the idea of Spinelli, Monet, and Schumann who has incited in our countries the public opinion against migrants? Who, Mr President, wants to tear apart the right to asylum - the right to have rights - to obtain easy electoral consent has even stuffed Libyan jailers with money.

SOUNDBITE (French), Marie Dimostheniadis , Red Cross, This crisis has exacerbated the precarious situation. Indeed, I was also talking about the 300 meals offered to us by the European Parliament, which is now intended for the homeless and distributed by one of our local entities. During these distributions, we notice that this suffering has created a new precariousness and we see in the people we receive who may not be homeless, but who have been hit hard by this health crisis. It is obvious for us to continue to act together.

SOUNDBITE (French), Giovanni Morocutti , EMMA&#220;S - LA POUDRI&#200;RE, The participation of Emmaus Italy with all the other humanitarian organisations, and the initiative of Mediterranea that tries to rescue migrants crossing the sea in order to survive in Europe. How many thousands of men, women and children have died and how many will die, in search of a possible life in our countries? This is a humanitarian scandal. That will forever be a shame. I repeat myself, a shame, for this Europe which today celebrates its 70th anniversary. 70 years of the European dream.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish),  Yayo Herrero, President of the Transitions Forum, ecological think tank, People's lives, territories, animals and plants not only have value in terms of the benefits and rates of profit they produce. This settles a logic that turns economy into a true religion and more fear of religious fundamentalisms that make money sacred and turn politics into a sacrificial logic. Everything is worth sacrificing as long as the economy grows and this leads to a situation of violence that generates possible patriarchal violence, which also generates structural racism.

SOUNDBITE (French), Laurent d&apos;Ursel , DoucheFLOUX, This crisis is also an opportunity to put your finger on everything that goes wrong. This is the advantage of crises, that it created a striking magnifying glass effect that allows us to see even more vividly a reality that actually existed before.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, As you have said very well, we have to remember the responsibility of politics, because solidarity it is not enough, we need tools and resources. We need a vision and I think this crisis of the COVID - 19 puts all of us in this condition: getting out not in the same way we got in. And this relates to so many mechanisms so many mentalities that we have to change, to so many perspectives that we have to focus well.