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. Statement by Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE), Greens/EFA Group Leader, on our common future post-COVID-19, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

statement

LAMBERTS, Philippe (Greens/EFA, BE)

70th anniversary of the Schuman declaration (T)

Open day 2020 (T)

Europe Day - Schuman Declaration Anniversary - 70 Years of Solidarity: statement by Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE), Greens/EFA Group Leader

Philippe LAMBERTS (BE) , Co-President of the Greens/EFA group Seventy years ago, when the horrors of the Second World War were still fresh in the East, in the collective spirit of our societies, visionaries told themselves that in order to ensure lasting prosperity on our continent, European states had to stand together and establish a European democracy based on solidarity between them.

Philippe LAMBERTS (BE) , Co-President of the Greens/EFA group Seven years later, we celebrate this anniversary in the midst of another crisis, the coronavirus pandemic. Well, this is an opportunity or never for the European leader to prove the very raison d'être of the European Union. We are facing a challenge that surprised us all. And from which it will be impossible for our societies to get out. If we do not use our elbows, we have entered the coronavirus crisis.

Philippe LAMBERTS (BE) , Co-President of the Greens/EFA group Together, we will find a positive outcome for the peoples of Europe. But it requires European decision-makers, it requires European leaders to be bold and tell their people the truth. It is because it is together that we must find ways out of the crisis. It is together that we must build. In fact, a European society that is resilient, solid on its foundations, which is at the same time democratic, but also social, economic and, above all, environmental.

Philippe LAMBERTS (BE) , Co-President of the Greens/EFA group In other words, Europe, seven years after the Schuman Declaration, is facing the hour of truth, so together we must take decisions that are extremely important for the future of our continent. We are convinced that solidarity remains, as Schumann said, at the heart of the future of Europeans.

Philippe LAMBERTS (BE) , Co-President of the Greens/EFA group It is up to us to collectively show the courage necessary to make the right decisions, because if we are not able to make them, if we think so majority, we believe that it is everyone for themselves who will prevail, well, Europe will never be immune from a return to the horrors of the 20th century.