Europe Day 2020

70 years ago, on May 9, 1950, against the backdrop of the Cold War, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman issued a declaration which marked the beginning of the process of building the European Community. On this occasion, Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán wished Europe every success for building stronger cooperation.

The official website of the European Union stresses that Europe Day, held on May 9 every year, celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historic 'Schuman declaration'. At a speech in Paris in 1950, Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe's nations unthinkable.

His vision was to create a European institution that would pool and manage coal and steel production. The aim Robert Schuman had set himself was to establish a new supranational organisation with a view to creating a common coal and steel market between France and Germany, which was also open to other European countries. It would become the European Coal and Steel Community, or ECSC. A treaty creating such a body was signed just under a year later (see photo). Schuman's proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on this Europe Day that "there has never been a greater need for co-operation than there is now between European countries.” He wished Europe every success in this.