20 years of European journalism & history

eferendum - to be absent at the celebration of EU
reconciliation still raises some eyebrows.
"The ceremony had a high symbolic value,
emotionally and politically," said the then president
of the European Council, Belgium's Herman Van
Rompuy, who collected the prize together with
European Commission president José Manuel
Barroso and European Parliament president Martin
Schulz.
"I think a lot of people had worked, for quite a long
time, in the Nobel committee to give the prize to
the European Union, because it is still the biggest
peace project in the whole [of] European history,"
Van Rompuy told EUobserver.
The former head of the European Council described
the event as one of the highlights of his political
career.
In his acceptance speech, Van Rompuy invoked
his own family history, pointing out how evident the
memories of World War II remain today for many
citizens across the bloc.
"We managed to push aside war, hopefully forever,
but we should always recall this - even in times
when there are no threats of war [in the EU]," he
said, referring to one of the underlying messages
of the prize.
"The other part of the message is still: be grateful,
never forget [times of war] because it can always
recommence," he said, adding that "history repeats
itself, but never in the same way".
Some critical voices, and some former winners of
the peace prize, slammed the choice of the EU for
the award, arguing that some of the bloc's policies
opposed the principles and values associated with
Nobel's prize.
However, Van Rompuy argued that "we cannot
compare social conflicts or political antagonism, with
the cruel wars between big nations in the previous
centuries".
The European Union rose from the ashes of World
War II, breaking a cycle of violence and vengeance
on the continent, while aiming to bring a better future.
But it is not perfect, and it cannot be idealised.
"In Europe, there will always be differences [among
member states]," said Van Rompuy, adding that
these contrasts are evidenced from north to south,
and from east to west, in a wide range of areas, from
the economy to migration-related challenges.
"The question is whether there is sufficient political
will and political courage to find compromises and
solutions, and to show solidarity - that is absolutely
key," he said.
"In a society where individualisation is much more
present for all kinds of reasons, solidarity takes
an effort - it is not a natural feeling," Van Rompuy
warned.
The Nobel Peace Prize itself consists of an amount
of 8m Swedish Krona [€785,000 in 2020], a gold
medal and a diploma. The prize money was given
to projects that support children affected by war
and conflicts, while the medal and the diploma were
among the first objects of the permanent exhibition
of the House of European History, which opened in
2014.
'The ceremony had a high symbolic value,
emotionally and politically,' said the then
president of the European Council,
Herman Van Rompuy
Photo: Bundesregierung/Bergmann
27 — EUOBSERVER ANNIVERSARY 2020