In a letter addressed to the President of the Republic, the European Movement and the Young Europeans have requested that France join the declaration of the sixteen member states, which, during the adoption of the final act of the Treaty of Lisbon on December 13, 2007, declared that the symbols of the European Union “will continue to be, for them, symbols of the citizens’ common belonging to the European Union and their connection with it.”
Wishing to turn away from the constitutional approach that had failed, the European Council indeed abandoned any reference to the Union’s symbols in the Treaty of Lisbon as previously featured in Article 8-1: the European flag (a circle of twelve stars on a blue background); the European anthem (the “Ode to Joy” from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony); the motto of the Union (“United in diversity”); and Europe Day celebrated across the European Union (on May 9).
Arguing the strong signal given by our President of his commitment to the European Union, by not hesitating, and for the first time, to feature the colors of Europe in his official photograph, the European Movement requests that he go further by signing this declaration and by calling for May 9 to be a public holiday across the Union.
