The European Parliament marked its 70th anniversary in Strasbourg on Tuesday, with a ceremony that was also attended by Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic. 

“Europe is a way of life and a way of living. It was no coincidence that the EU flag was raised over Kherson after so many months of brutal occupation. It is because it symbolizes hope, courage and belief,” European Parliament Speaker, Roberta Metsola, said in her address.

She underlined that the European project had united nations and become a framework for the fight for human rights and dignity.

“From the ashes of war we have found the wisdom, the courage and the humanity to choose to stand together, to tear down walls, and unite people and nations. Together we can continue our mission to tackle generational inequalities, to fight crippling poverty, to keep us safer and ensure our security, to ensure equality of opportunity, to fight discrimination, to stand up for women, to show our LGBTIQ community that this truly is a freedom zone, to create a framework for prosperity and economic growth, to beat climate change, to help create jobs, to ensure dignity to all,” Metsola said.

Addresses were also made by the prime ministers of the countries where the main European institutions are located – Alexander de Croo of Belgium, Xavier Bettell of Luxembourg, and Elisabeth Borne of France.

De Croo said that the European Parliament was a catharsis in a long history of violence between European countries and a victory of humankind over nationalism.

Seventy years ago the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded. The European Coal and Steel Community was established by France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

The ECSC is considered a precursor to the European Union, and the Common Assembly a precursor to the European Parliament.

Jandroković: European project secured peace

“70 years have passed and most certainly it was the European project that made it possible for Europe to live in peace during that period. In the 19th and 20th centuries Europe was a continent marked by many war conflicts,” Jandrokovic told reporters in the European Parliament.

“Since the establishment of the European Union – and the European Parliament is an important element of European integration – Europe has lived in peace,” he added.

He noted that factors such as the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Covid-19, and populism and demagoguery had “shaken the foundations of our community, as well as the values the EU rests on.”

“We have to fight for them on a daily basis. Freedom, democracy and peace do not come naturally. They require a lot of effort, energy, and, sometimes, sacrifice,” he said.

The European Parliament will on Wednesday probably declare Russia a terrorism-sponsoring state.

Asked if the Croatian Parliament would launch a similar initiative, Jandrokovic said that Croatia had supported Ukraine strongly from the very beginning and that its parliament had adopted a declaration expressing support to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

“We will coordinate our activities. Considering our experience in the 1990s, we stand firmly by the Ukrainian people. We understand, probably better than many others, what is going on there. So any moves on our part will certainly be of help to Ukrainians in their just struggle for freedom,” Jandrokovic said.