Every year on May 9, Europe Day marks the day on which the European Union is thought to have begun to take shape.

It was also the day when French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman issued the momentous ‘Schuman statement,’ which aimed to make war between ancient foes France and Germany “not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible”.  As a result, the day honours European peace and solidarity.

The “Schuman Declaration” suggested establishing a European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), with members pooling coal and steel output.

The proclamation was issued in 1950, when the nations of Europe were still battling to recover from the damage caused by World War II, despite the fact that the war had ended five years earlier.

To avoid future wars, European leaders determined that combining economic interests would be the first step toward a more unified Europe.

France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg are among the founding members of the ECSC. Other countries, however, were allowed to join.

A broad number of events are hosted across the EU member states, as well as at the EU institutions’ home cities of Brussels, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen used Europe Day to show solidarity with Ukraine. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine reminds us why we are celebrating Europe Day tomorrow. The day when a peaceful, prosperous Europe was born. 72 years later, Europe is united in solidarity with our Ukrainian friends, who aspire to a future of freedom,”  she said on Twitter.

Europe Day is a public holiday in Luxembourg, Kosovo, and Croatia, as well as a “memorial day” and a “flag day” in Germany.

Meanwhile, while Europe marks the 77th anniversary of the Nazis’ capitulation, Russia commemorates the triumph on May 9. Nazi

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