“The future of Europe is in our hands – Europe is what you make of it; Europe Day is a celebration of European unity built on dialogue, democracy and solidarity; the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity are important, but Europe has to go beyond that to solve its economic and financial problems.”

These were some of the ideas put forward during a Europe Day debate between secondary school students, Members of Parliament and Members of the European Parliament, which was held at the Old University Building’s Aula Magna in Valletta.

The event was organised by the European Commission Representation in Malta and the European Parliament Information Office in Malta, and included the participation of More or Less Theatre and the band of the Armed Forces of Malta.

Europe Day, celebrated on the 9th of May, celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historical ‘Schuman declaration.’ At a speech in Paris in 1950, the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman, 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. A treaty creating such a body was signed just under a year later. Schuman’s proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union.

MEP Roberta Metsola focused on our rights as European citizens, highlighting the importance of our right to vote to choose our representatives. “The most important thing is the quality of your vote and the quality of our work,” said Dr Metsola, adding that the European Parliament puts citizens’ rights on a pedestal.

MEP Claudette Abela Baldacchino spoke about the European Social Agenda, referring to the concept of the social market economy and the need to find ways of addressing the issue of poverty and ensuring an equitable distribution of wealth.

MEP Joseph Cuschieri, on his part, noted that Robert Schuman’s dream was to put an end to conflict between neighbouring countries and pooling the resources of different countries. He spoke about the EU’s economic challenges and stressed that workers have a crucial role to play to lift the EU out of its current precarious situation.

Peter Agius, head of the European Parliament Information Office in Malta, appealed to students and young people to make the most of any opportunities that will help to make them fully-fledged European citizens.

Dr Agius mentioned, for instance, Erasmus and other exchange programmes, as well as Euroscola – a unique opportunity for students from the 27 EU Member States to become a Member of the European Parliament for one day at the Parliament’s premises in Strasbourg.

A number of students who participated in the debate spoke about EU citizens’ rights and duties, their aspirations and expectations, and the importance of research and innovation as a crucial driver of the EU economy, among other things.

The debate was also addressed by Helena Dalli, Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties, Nationalist MP Clyde Puli, Evarist Bartolo, Education and Employment Minister, Louis Grech, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, and Martin Bugelli, head of the European Commission Representation in Malta, who gave the closing speech.

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