Europe Day

Mattarella: 'The attractiveness of the European Union is back stronger than ever'

The Head of State recalls the urgency of 'an ever more incisive commitment in support of peace, dialogue and international stability'. Macron's post: 'Europe is treasure forged by courage, but can be improved'

by Rome Editorial Staff

9 May 2026

Il presidente della Repubblica, Sergio Mattarella 7146

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

[Insert key point]
The call for shared tools and policies
Completion of the integration process
The attractiveness of the European Union
Italy's role in the EU project
Macron: Europe is treasure forged by courage

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

"In this historical phase, peoples are faced with fearsome and extraordinarily important tests. Russian aggression against Ukraine has brought armed conflict back to the heart of the continent, calling for a unified response to protect international law and the principles of freedom and sovereignty. The continuing crisis in the Middle East calls with equal urgency for an even stronger commitment to support peace, dialogue and international stability'.

The call to seek shared tools and policies

This is the message issued by the Head of State, Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of the celebration of Europe Day. "To these and many other challenges of our time", reads the statement released by the Quirinale, "it is illusory to think of responding in the absence of shared instruments and policies". The President of the Republic began his message by recalling that "9 May is a day of celebration for all European citizens. The memory of the Founding Fathers reminds us of the values of freedom, democracy, independence, on which they wanted to found a virtuous path towards the unification of Europe, economically and, in perspective, politically'.

The completion of the integration process

Since 1950, Mattarella continued, 'the integration process has constantly progressed, tackling the ridges of history up to the reunification of the destiny of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe with those of Western Europe. An ambitious goal, which today looks towards the completion of this process, with the ongoing dialogue with Balkan countries, Moldova and Ukraine'.

The attractive force of the European Union

Then the passage in which the Head of State emphasised 'the attractive force of the European Union, with its example of peace and prosperity, is back more intense than ever and is exerted on the many aspiring new members to be promptly welcomed into the European family. The peoples of Europe," Mattarella went on to stress, "constitute a community and, for these reasons, celebrating 9 May means reaffirming a collective commitment that calls upon each of us".

Italy's role in the EU project

Not missing from the Head of State's remarks is a timely reference to the role that our country has played and continues to play in the process of the establishment and development of Europe. "Italia, which derives stability, growth, social cohesion and confidence in the future from its participation in the Community project, has contributed with passion and determination to its success and continues to support its development, aware of how a condition of peace, the solidity of democratic institutions and the future of the new generations are intimately connected to the common destiny of the European people".

Macron: Europe is treasure forged by courage

On the day of celebrations, a message also arrived from the French President, Emmanuel Macron. "It is Europe Day. Europe is today a foregone conclusion, which, however, was by no means a foregone conclusion. It is a legacy torn from the ruins, a treasure forged by the courage of those who refused that nationalism and war were our destiny," he wrote in a post on social X. "In the face of crises, Europe has never stopped protecting us and acting swiftly, forcefully and in solidarity when History knocks on our door. In the pandemic, in the economic turmoil, in the face of the Russian threat and the war in Ukraine on the soil of our Europe, we resist, always,' he adds, 'Europe is more than the benefits of its great single market: it supports our agriculture, our youth and our universities, our research, our territories and our jobs, our cultural diversity, our exports, our borders, our security and our independence in a world full of dangers.

Of course, Macron adds, 'Europe can and must still improve. There is still much to be done,' he continues, 'but we must be proud to be European. Proud to build the most ecological continent, the most digitally demanding, the one that invests in innovation and technology to produce in Europe and get out of our strategic dependencies, the one that defends democratic and humanist values everywhere'. Since 2017, the French president recalls, 'I have been devoting my energies to this, for the French and the French, because a significant part of our future and our sovereignty is at stake there: Europe respects and strengthens our nations. Every generation has the immense duty to make Europe live, to love it, to transform it, so that it is strong, powerful, independent, so that it serves all of us and protects what we have in common: a certain idea of Man and the ability to act to guarantee our free and sovereign choices," the post reads further. "It is all the more important in a world that is faltering today, where our treasure of peace, unity and European sovereignty is invaluable. On this 9 May,' it concludes, 'as a convinced, determined and proud European, I say very simply: long live our Europe'.