SARAJEVO, MAY 9 (ONASA) – The ninth of May is celebrated as Europe Day in memory of the Schuman Declaration, which laid the foundations on which the European Union exists today.
Europe emerged from the Second World War as a devastated continent in every sense. The economy virtually no longer existed, culture and science were on their knees and without a clear perspective.
To make matters worse, the continent was soon divided by the Iron Curtain into a part controlled by the USSR and a part with a democratic system.
On May 9, 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed a plan to bring French and West German coal and steel production under a single authority. The idea was to later open the community to other countries in Europe.
Schuman realized that long-term peace in Europe would only be created if Germany and France achieved a way of living together, and this could be done through the creation of strong economic ties that would grow into mutual trust and dependence.
The rivalry between Germany and France led Europe into the First and Second World Wars, which not only claimed millions of lives, but also made European countries second-rate powers in international relations.
“The rapprochement of European countries requires the elimination of the age-old opposition of France and Germany… thus established solidarity in production will clearly show that any war between France and Germany is not only unthinkable, but also materially impossible,” said Schuman.
In April 1951, the Paris Agreement was signed, which created the European Coal and Steel Community, which was joined by Italy and the Benelux countries.
From this community, the European Economic Community and then the European Union were later created, which made it possible to achieve much faster economic development through the economic integration of European countries than would have been the case in rivalries.
The European Union is facing several challenges today. Some of them are internal, such as the relationship between countries that implement a policy that is not even close to the values on which the EU was founded, and which continue to derive the economic benefits of membership.
Also, the countries of the European Union have become totally disoriented in their enlargement policy. The population of the Western Balkan countries no longer believes that their countries will ever be members of this elite society.
The European Union is not even unique in its support for Ukraine in resisting Russian aggression. There is also the issue of relations with the USA, China and other issues.
The European Union has successfully solved its initial task of ensuring peace in Western Europe.
Now he will have to solve the issue of ensuring peace on the European continent and whether, with an aging population, he will fall into the absolute shadow of the USA and China or find his own way. (end)