Saturday, May 10, 2014
Today, on Europe Day, the
flags of the European Union and its member states are flying high all
across Europe — from the rocks of Gibraltar and the Emerald Isle of Éire
all the way to the easternmost parts of Finland's North Karelia and the
port city of Larnaca in Cyprus. We celebrate the message of our union
that was founded on the common values of peace, freedom, democracy,
human rights, and civilisation: "United in Diversity."
The first
steps of a united Europe striving toward common values and economic
prosperity were taken on 9 May 1950, when our continent was still
recovering from a catastrophic conflagration, in a declaration by the
then French foreign minister, Robert Schuman. The governments of
European states were determined to prevent another war. This road has
led EU member states and their citizens to prosperity, freedom, and
peace. This is a time to celebrate — or is it?
As we celebrate,
flags are flying throughout Russia all the way from Saint Petersburg to the
shores of the Bering Strait. The great country is celebrating its
victory over fascism in the Second World War that ended on 9 May 1945
with flying colours and military parades. At the same time, armoured
divisions of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's army are flouting
international law and trampling down on the territory of several
sovereign European states: Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine.
The
Finnish Anti-Fascist Committee expresses its deep concern about the
threat to peace on the European continent and calls on all European
states, individual citizens, communities, and organisations to rise in
common defence of European values against totalitarianism. We join in
the words of the Schuman declaration: "World peace cannot be safeguarded
without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers
which threaten it."
Antti-Pekka Mustonen
Chairman
