Europe Day at 76: revisiting the Schuman Declaration's blueprint for peace

Le Monde15 h ago

European Union flag in front of a Brussels building — Photo: Marco / Pexels

Schuman's speech at the Quai d'Orsay proposed pooling French and German coal and steel production under a single authority. It is the moment a peace framework began to emerge between two nations only just out of war. Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy joined within weeks.

For the 2026 celebrations, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa spoke at a ceremony on Brussels' Anneessens Square. Their message focused on enlarging the union to candidate countries Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans. The public concert closed with the Brussels Philharmonic performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

The Robert Schuman museum at Scy-Chazelles in Luxembourg expected a record 18,000 visitors over the anniversary weekend. The European Commission has announced an 'Erasmus Civics' programme starting in August to deepen integration of the Schuman Declaration into curricula.

This article is an AI-curated summary based on Le Monde. The illustration is a stock photo by Marco from Pexels.