Every May 9th we celebrate Europe Day on the occasion of the Schuman Declaration, a speech made in 1950 by the French Foreign Minister, which laid the foundations for peaceful coexistence and prosperity in Europe. This was the impetus for the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the birthplace and cradle of today’s European Union.

Thanks to this alliance, Europe grew both economically and politically in an increasingly globalised world. Despite the crises caused by the three-year pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we 27 managed to remain united in the face of adversity, showing, in the face of threats, a strong commitment to common European values.

The political priorities set by the current European Commission in 2019 remain fully valid today: the European Green Pact, with which Europe aims to become the first climate-neutral continent in the world; adapting to the digital era; creating a more attractive environment to generate quality employment, especially for young people, and to improve the competitiveness of SMEs; strengthening the role of the EU in the world, with the defence of multilateralism; promoting the rule of law as the basis of the European way of life and boosting democracy to protect it from external interference.

Galicia is firmly committed to these priorities and works within the Union to defend its specific interests. The challenge ahead of us, especially with regard to the ecological transition, is enormous. The legislation stemming from the European Green Pact that is now being negotiated will change the way we live, produce and consume. We are actively involved in these discussions, and then it is imperative to persevere to ensure a just transition that leaves no one behind.

Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, moving towards a strategic industrial autonomy that allows us to be self-sufficient in microprocessors and raw materials, or ensuring that the double ecological and digital transition is made on a strong social rights basis, are some of the other challenges ahead of us and which the EU is leading.

To address all of them, the EU identifies one key aspect: the reinforcement of skills. This 2023 is the European Year of Skills to draw attention to just that. The right skills enable citizens to adapt to the changes arising from technological evolution and are essential to meet the needs of companies, which are finding it difficult to find qualified staff. Galicia is working seriously in this area through the Galician Agenda of Work Skills.

On this Europe Day we celebrate one more year the fact of being “united in diversity”, as the motto of our Union underlines, but also in adversity, with ambitious common projects in which the whole Galician society has to participate and get involved.

Happy Europe Day!

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