Europe Day on May 9: what's behind it?

On May 9th, blue flags with twelve yellow stars are raised in many places. Because these flags are a symbol of the European Union (EU for short). This is a community of 27 European countries that have pledged to support each other and work together.

Austria has also been part of the European Union since 1995. Our country has been a member for almost 30 years. Because Austria is a part of it, our country also has something to celebrate on May 9th. Europe Day is celebrated on May 9 every year. But what exactly is it about?

Europe Day – a reason to celebrate

On this day every year, Europe celebrates the existence of the European Union. This means that you belong to a large community. We must think about cohesion and peace. It is no coincidence that May 9 was chosen for this event! Because this day is like the birthday of the European Union.

May 9th is the anniversary of the so-called Schuman Declaration. Robert Schuman was an important French politician. The Schumann Declaration is a speech given by Robert Schumann on May 9, 1950 – more than 70 years ago.

Ideas for Europe

In this speech, the politician explained his thoughts on how European countries can work more closely and better together in the future. Many believe that this speech was the beginning of the later creation of the European Union. Reason enough for the community of nations to celebrate this day!

This year, Europe Day is a little more important than usual: it aims to draw attention to the European elections, which will take place in June. People from all over the European Union can have a say in these elections regarding which politicians will be able to determine the direction of the European Union in the coming years.

This is an article from the current issue of KinderNachrichten – OÖNachrichten's weekly newspaper for children aged 6 to 12 years. More information: www.kindernachrichten.at Or try it for free: www.kindernachrichten.at/testen