Europe Day was celebrated on 9 May. It was celebrated in Bavaria with numerous events in almost all cities. In Munich, the Democracy Wheel was set up and I was able to talk to citizens. In Lauf, I was a guest of the Christoph-Jacob-Treue Gymnasium, this school is an "Ambassador School of the European Parliament ", in Erlangen I opened the premiere of the film "Haram", which had the opportunity to visit my MEP office in Brussels. Haram Dar, a 16-year-old student from Erlangen, Pakistan, Bavaria's regional student representative was thus the youngest trainee in the European Parliament. This is effectively reflected in his personal development, as he has since been a welcome guest at the numerous debates and discussion rounds, including TV appearances. During one of his broadcasts, he made the Bavarian Minister of Education promise to give a laptop to every student who does not own a computer, so that students from educationally disadvantaged or low-income families can take courses online. It was in the middle of the Covid 19 crisis. I am happy to have contributed to the awakening of a young person's political consciousness and to see that his commitment goes beyond the borders of our city. Haram Dar was a guest of the German President at Bellevue Palace. The film "Haram" won the special prize "of the 69 European Competition" of the Ministerial Conference in cooperation with the Liaison Office" in Berlin.  

Europe Day marks the development of new forms of political cooperation in Europe that should make war between the nations of Europe unthinkable.

Standing up together for European solidarity

The large turnout in the 2019 European elections have shown how vibrant democracy is in Europe.

A policy for Europe must first and foremost be supported by the citizens of Europe. We therefore want to know what people expect from the EU. At the moment, a critical attitude is widespread. How does the EU have to change so that trust in it grows again? How can the EU be made fairer, more democratic and more inclusive? Especially in the context of political education, we want to make a contribution to promoting a Europe of cohesion.

The European Parliament is the voice of the people. We want you, as their representatives, to be more involved in decisions. I am therefore pleased to have the opportunity to talk to you in Bavaria and in my constituency, so that I can represent you in the European Parliament according to your ideas.

For one of the central tasks of the European Parliament, enshrined in the EU's founding treaties, is to actively support the European Union in its worldwide efforts to promote democracy and human rights.

Democracy in the EU is currently facing major challenges such as increasing extremism, racism and also threats to peace.

The European Action Plan for Democracy

Provides a comprehensive approach that builds on EU achievements. It protects freedom of expression and aims to empower citizens. Citizens should be able to make choices in a public space where different opinions can be freely expressed. Further goals of the action plan are: Expanding media freedom, combating disinformation, ensuring the safety of journalists and adapting security measures to the new digital realities. Universities and civil society should be able to play their part in promoting open debate, unhindered by malicious influence from home or abroad.

The European Union, a peace project

In December 2012, the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The European Union aims to be the guarantor of peace on the continent, while the basic concept was created more than sixty years ago with the aim of ensuring European cohesion and preserving peace and cooperation in Europe.

If the EU wants to live up to its self-claim as a stronghold of human rights and humanism, then the lessons from the tragedies of the past, especially from the aftermath of the genocide of Jews, Sinti and Roma and the ethnic groups of the Nama and Hereros in Namibia, must also finally lead us to make our freedom rights accessible to all people and not just to a small privileged minority.

Peace will therefore be the essence of European integration. With this in mind, we will work to ensure that what we are currently experiencing quickly becomes part of the past. We therefore call on the belligerents to return to the path of diplomacy, reconciliation and understanding so that peace can return to the European continent.