The 20th century has seen profound changes in Europe. After battles and bloodshed between the greatest armies in the world during WWI, often called the seminal event of the 20th century, revanchist tensions brought Europe to another war twenty years later, this time with even more casualties. The peace of 1945 was a period of intense and significant change, in some senses, it was a painful second birth for the old continent.
Now deeply divided, the European continent was the stage for another battle between ideologies and superpowers. During this cold conflict, Europe and unity could be perceived as an alternative to the division emanating from the catastrophe of the Second World War but, of course, compromise was key. And this has been, perhaps, one of the greatest realisations learned from Europe’s old conflicts and rivalries, that Europe fought its battle of difference so it can find a compromise and accept it.
What now?
Today, the European Union is a complex and diverse society, with one of the largest parliaments’ in the world, a tendency to share common foreign and security policies, a common currency and joint market of labour and products.
Although peaceful unification of Europe was not a goal of any participant in WWII, it has appeared as one of its most unlikely outcomes when consider the context of the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1951, and 42 years later, the Maastricht Treaty.
Today, the situation in Europe is far from ideal, but we have an advantage of knowing our goals. That is why this year’s celebration of Europe Day was one of the most important in history of our old continent, not only reminding us of a great victory of peace and unity, but also encouraging cooperation between all Europeans.
We at Making Europe Again know that our mission is to work towards a better Europe so it can reply to the needs and expectations of every single European’s, so each of us can feel at home and that the safety and peace we have strived for cannot be questioned at any time.