There
are multitudinous narratives woven into the rich and colourful
fabric of Europe, but before the establishment of the
European Union, these strands were disparate and confrontational.
The great achievement of the European Union has been to
take the fabric of our continent and weave it into a single,
strong, and beautiful tapestry – finding unity in
the diversity of millions. I cannot help but consider
the success of the European Union from the perspective
of my own family’s narrative. Our story is one of
the many threads woven into the beautiful fabric of Europe;
it follows the evolution of the European community and,
in its simplicity, highlights a compelling truth. A year
after my grandfather was born, Europe had begun to tear
its fabric to shreds. It was not that diplomacy did not
exist, but treaties among the European nations were designed
to advance diplomatic brinkmanship and nationalistic,
rather than human, interests. By my grandfather’s
seventh birthday, millions of young men and women would
be dead across the continent of Europe – lives sacrificed
in some of the world’s most horrific and futile
battles. The year was 1914; Europe was at war with itself;
and the notion of a united Europe seemed absurd.
When my father was born, Europe was engaged in a further
phase of self-destruction. My grandfather’s military
obligation meant that he could not be present at his own
son’s birth. Like millions of other Europeans, he
was fighting a war in Germany – a struggle for his
country which ultimately became a struggle for a free
Europe. The year was 1945; Europe was at war with itself;
and once again the notion of a united Europe seemed absurd.
Before his thirty-third birthday, my grandfather had endured
two of the world’s deadliest and most devastating
conflicts. He had watched his friends killed by other
Europeans, and he joined the rest of the world in vowing,
“Never again.” When I was born, Europe was
united, peaceful, prosperous, and free. A new body –
the European Union – formed from the ashes of these
deadliest of conflicts had united the continent economically,
culturally, and politically. Today, the idea of a divided
Europe – one in which a European country would go
to war against another - seems absurd. The EU’s
constructive mission for Europe has superseded destructive
nationalism. The European Union’s beautiful motto,
“Unity in Diversity,” truly encapsulates my
hope for not only Europe, but also for the world. The
European Union has knocked down walls between its member
states and has also promoted peace and justice throughout
the world. It makes me proud to know, for example, that
the European community is the world’s largest donor
of foreign aid.
The EU has fostered a culture of shared destinies, common
hopes, and peaceful futures –concurrently preserving
and promoting the magnificent linguistic, cultural, and
historical diversity of our continent. I am proud to be
British, but as I reflect on nearly a century of progress,
I am inexorably proud to call myself a European.
