MEPs mark the creation of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952, with a ceremony in the hemicycle. Elisabeth BORNE, Prime Minister of the French republic, Alexander DE CROO, Prime Minister of Belgium and Xavier BETTEL, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, are invited to participate and give speeches. Extracts from the ceremony.

Strasbourg

plenary session

European Parliament

ceremony

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

BETTEL, Xavier (LU)

DE CROO, Alexander (BE)

president's agenda

70th anniversary of the European Parliament (T)

BORNE, Élisabeth

Ceremony of the 70th anniversary of the European Parliament: extracts from the ceremony

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Europe is the answer to so many of the questions our people ask of us. It is a way of life and a way of living. It was no coincidence that the EU flag was raised over Kherson. After so many months of brutal occupation. It is because it symbolises hope, courage and belief. This is the legacy of our Europe. The legacy of this House. The legacy of the last 70 years,

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, I am not here to say that we are perfect. We are not. Our processes are sometimes frustrating. Progress is not always fast enough or deep enough or easy enough. We must keep reforming. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, Our democracy is more resilient than we sometimes think. And this parliament is actually the best proof of that. I would like to honour the fundamental work this Parliament has done in protecting democracy and the rule of law in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (French), Xavier BETTEL, Luxembourgish Prime Minister, I would not have had the right to live in that period in the Second World War. I was liberal. I had Jewish origins being married to a man. Now Belgian...., that's not related. Being homosexual, being liberal, that would have meant that I would have been condemned three times over. And here I am today a head of state. That is the European project. You might be different, you might have different origins, but this richness is not something which limits us. That is where our richness lies in this diversity. We should not allow this to be destroyed. So we are here celebrating the 70th anniversary of the European Parliament. We need to keep this diversity, which is our strength.

SOUNDBITE (French), &#201;lisabeth BORNE, Prime Minister of the French Republic, Because each time the European Parliament increases its powers. Europe gains in democracy. Now this democracy is a democracy that we will never fail to defend at a time when some will assault Ukraine, at a time when authoritarian regimes would like democracy to be considered weak. We must be proud of our democracy, proud of our values.The heart of democracy beats here in Strasbourg and has been here for 70 years.