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 Dacian CIOLOŞ (Renew, RO), Renew Group Leader, on our common future post-COVID-19, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

statement

CIOLOŞ, Dacian (Renew, RO)

70th anniversary of the Schuman declaration (T)

Open day 2020 (T)

Europe Day - Schuman Declaration Anniversary - 70 Years of Solidarity: statement by Dacian CIOLOŞ (Renew, RO)

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Dacian CIOLO&#350;, Renew Chair, When we think about the Schuman Declaration 70 years ago, we think first of all of the founding fathers of the European Union who, in very difficult times for the European Union, showed optimism and courage but, above all, found the resorts to mobilise European solidarity for a joint project.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Dacian CIOLO&#350; (RE, RO), Renew Chair, Now 70 years after that, it is perhaps one of the most difficult anniversary the European Union has lived because we are again at a crossroads. Again, the citizens of the Member States are wondering which direction to take and whether we will be able to face the challenges that we have before us.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Dacian CIOLO&#350; (RE, RO), Renew Chair, This time we cannot count on external support as it was 70 years ago on a Marshall Plan coming from outside the European Union. We must first count on ourselves, on our ingenuity, on our strength to mobilise its resources on our imagination and, above all, on the courage of our optimism and on our vision to rebuild Europe. The European Union has always known to use the difficult moments of crisis to take a step further.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Dacian CIOLO&#350; (RE, RO), Renew group, This time we need to make an even more important leap of solidarity, a leap of courage, and especially a leap of confidence that this European project can be complementary to all the objectives that each of us has in our countries in our regions, and to we prove that 70 years after the founding fathers thought with optimism and courage this project at 70, this project can move on to a new stage. The Conference on the Future of Europe is a key moment to put together all these ideas to structure them and especially to give.

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Dacian CIOLO&#350; (RE, RO), Renew group, Optimism. To give substance and to give value to these ideas that are not just drawer ideas that remain not just bureaucracy that does not remain just a vision in an ivory tower, let's make this European project available to all Europeans and especially to young people. So the European Union 70 years since the founding fathers thought of a start on a new road and this time this road is this direction of this road. We must all together by showing solidarity trust and optimism.