Europe Day

Every year on the 9th of May, people from all over Europe come together to celebrate the decades of peace and unity since the establishment of the European Union.

The current crop of CEFEUS interns explain what Europe Day means to them. Lizzie Bailey, CEFEUS Communications Manager 

Europe day allows us to reflect how far we have come and the possibilities that the future holds. Since the founding of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951 through to the founding of the European Union in 1993, and onward to the current post-Lisbon Treaty structure of institutions and 28 Member States, Europe has witnessed many changes. However, the main goal has never changed, to see a united Europe free from war.

There is no better way to celebrate this day of unity than with games, sweets, and fellow Europeans. Enthusiastic members of the Centre for European Studies (CEFEUS) were ready and waiting in Touchdown Café, at Canterbury Christ Church University. CCCU staff and students alike, were ready to take on the challenges of games such as ‘Where did I leave Luxembourg?’, a tough test of their knowledge of European geography. Those who could name all the 28 EU states on the map, or those who just tried their hardest were rewarded with some well-earned cookies and sweets. Another popular game was ‘Pin the Tail on the Juncker’, a tongue-in-cheek challenge that involved matching names to pictures and job descriptions of famous European politicians. From Merkel to Mogherini to Macron, the 13 politicians who were in the line-up all have diverse opinions and goals, yet represent what Europe does best, cooperation for the common good. Matching the pictures on reverse of the euro coin to their home countries was another popular game, the German coat of arms (an eagle) was usually the first to be correctly matched. Finland was tougher.

With the Twitter hashtag #cccuEuropeday2017 those who were celebrating Europe day were encouraged to send in pictures with their messages about Europe: from the short but sweet “I love Europe” to “Proud to be European” and even “Maybe I like my bananas straight”. Students and staff who attended and took pictures were just a few of all the proud Europeans celebrating Europe day.

Aside from the fun and games, the CEFEUS team was also ready to answer some pressing questions about European politics. The biggest questions coming from inquisitive students revolved around the implications of Brexit, as well as cutting-edge queries about possible Eurovision Song Contest submissions. Even with the cloud of Brexit in the air, the cheerful spirits of all who attended managed to shine through to celebrate Europe day. Staff and students at CCCU come from all over the world, and Europe Day is just one of the ways that we can show our support for internationalism and unity, joining others celebrating Europe Day all across the continent. Europe Day is a day of celebration for all Europeans and allows us to take a pause from day to day politics to remember how far we have come as a united Europe. For all those who attended, a big thank you from the CEFEUS team and we hope that you enjoyed celebrating Europe day as much as we did.

Europe Day Activities : Noora Virtanen, CEFEUS Summer Intern & Undergraduate Coordinator 2017  

At the centre of the CCCU Europe Day were three games. The first game included placing the right nametag to one of the key actors in, or related to, the European Union. These pictures included people such as Mario Draghi, Frederica Mogherini, Emmanuel Macron and many others.  The second game was combining various Euro-coins with the right EU countries. The final and probably the most popular game was placing the EU member states on a map. People were very keen on testing their knowledge on the geographical location of the countries and we had a couple people who were able to place every single member state correctly. All these games were a funny way for people to engage with the European Union and learn a thing or two in a relaxed and friendly environment. The crowd also had the chance to write down their thoughts on some Brexit and EU related questions. Most importantly, one of the questions was to do with the Eurovision which seemed to be a hot topic among the crowd. All in all, everyone seemed to enjoy the various activities and were fascinated by the diversity of the union.

Europe Day Posters: Christian Turner: CEFEUS Summer Intern

As part of the Europe Day celebrations, posters were created including some of the following slogans:

• 135,000 EU nationals work in our NHS.
• Maybe I like my bananas straight...
• Proud to be a European.

The objective was to create a broad variety with both staff and students visiting the stall. Interestingly, all posters proved popular in their own respective ways, with several pictures taken with each. In particular, the three mentioned were most popular for a variety of reasons. On the NHS, it has become clear the UK's healthcare system will be in a major crisis if EU nationals are not allowed to stay post-Brexit. On the 'bananas' themed one, the humorous tone added a light-hearted sense to the occasion, whilst also poking fun at the often-labelled 'bureaucratic' EU'. Finally, the pride of being a European was important as it allowed people to take part in the day, even if they did not like the EU. After all, whilst the EU represents much of the European continent at present, there is a greater identity and culture which represents over 500 million people.

Jack Brooks, Graduate Coordinator

Why the 9th of May? In Paris on the 9th of May 1950 Robert Schuman, twice prime minister of France, set out his vision for transnational political cooperation in Europe in a speech now known as the ‘Schuman Declaration’. This declaration set the ball rolling for unprecedented Pan-European cooperation and integration, leading to the longest period of European peace and prosperity in human history.

Europe Day is a celebration of what we have built and what we have left behind, it’s a point every year for the shared European consciousness to remember that this peace, cooperation and prosperity was once unthinkable. It's also poignant to remember that exactly 100 years ago on this day was the closing weeks of the Battle of Arras, a battle where 285,000 British and German troops lost their lives under the most brutal and barbaric of circumstances because we were a continent divided.