Few years has had so much reason to be the europe day like this. May 9 commemorates the speech in which, in 1950, robert schuman proposed to create the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)the seed that years later would give rise to the European Union (EU).
That idea of the then French Foreign Minister, only five years after the end of the Second World War, had the objective of guaranteeing long-term peace in Europe, something that has been achieved for more than 70 years and until Vladimir Putin launched the war against Ukraine and the values that this EU represents. Spain will celebrate this anniversary, and European unity in the face of the Russian president’s challenge, with a ceremony in the Senate attended by the head of the Executive, Pedro Sánchez, several of his ministers and also regional presidents and MEPs from all parties.
One of the few positive consequences of the war launched on Ukrainian territory has been the unity that the European partners are maintaining, with some small cracks disguised with good words and diplomacy, to try to stop Putin with economic sanctions. The Government, together with the Senate, has organized a ceremony in the Plaza de la Marinia, in front of the Upper House, in which the Madrid Municipal Symphonic Band will perform the ‘Anthem of Europe’, from the German ludwig go Beethoven; ‘Festive Overture Op. 96’, from the Russian Dmitry Shostakovich, and ‘Capricho Español’, from the also Russian Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. These last two elections are a declaration of intent that seeks to reinforce the idea that diplomatic sanctions and punishments are for the “Russian government and administration”, but not for “Russian culture” or its people, as you have said in more than one occasion the minister Miquel Iceta.
The President of the Senate, Andrew Gil, will be the first to open the floor at an event in which the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will also speak, via videoconference, Joseph Borrell, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metzola. The ceremony will be closed by President Sánchez after the Socialist deputy Susana Sumelzo, president of the mixed commission for the EU, has also intervened.
Spanish solidarity
The head of the Executive, according to diplomatic sources, will reiterate the support of the Government of Spain to Ukraine and its president, Volodímir Zelenski, and will highlight the courage of the citizens of that country to defend freedom and democracy from Putin’s attack. Sánchez will also highlight the solidarity of the Spanish people with the Ukrainian refugees. According to data from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since the Russian president began the military offensive on February 24, 5.7 million people have left Ukraine. This organization also calculates that 7.7 million Ukrainians have left their homes due to the war and have changed cities within the country.