With the vision of the fathers

Hans-Gert Pöttering, Member and former President of the European Parliament encouraged “to persevere along the path of peace, human dignity, freedom, democracy, the rule of the law and the unity of Europe”. The occasion was the first Catholic Social Days for Europe held in Gdasnk October 8-11. Participants gathered in prayer lit a candle at the foot of the monument erected in memory of the outbreak of World War II. The fathers of Europe. Pöttering retraced the beginning of the conflict, seventy years ago. His own father, he said, was killed during the war and he, born in 1945, never knew him. “I firmly believe that we must do our utmost to prevent the resurgence of the horrors of war across Europe”. Pöttering’s decision to be engaged in the political realm stems from there. “Since I was young – he said – I had faith in the vision of the founding fathers of the European Union, according to whom conflicts and wars could be overcome only by establishing a political community founded on shared values of peace”.An idea of man founded on Christianity. Pöttering, who was first designated MEP in 1979 with the first EP direct election, remarked: “I was convinced, and I still am, that in order to defend our common values, namely dignity and human rights, freedom and democracy, the rule of the law and peace, Europe needs to be united and strong. This is impossible without the EP, whose role is decisive. I felt that my vocation was to be engaged in this objective and contribute to the progress of the European Parliament.” According to the former president of the European Parliament, “European unification progressed with ups and downs, as is the case of the Lisbon Treaty, that needs to be urgently implemented”. The reunification of May 1st 2004 was “the greatest gift of my political career”, he said, along with the unification of Germany in 1990. “I always firmly believed that one day Communism would fall since like Nazism, Communism is against human nature. The attempt to create a ‘new man’ was doomed to failure. Our idea of man founded on Christianity prevailed”. The commitment for peace of John Paul II. “The yearning for freedom of European populations, that include former DDR Germans, and Solidarnosh, led by Lech Walesa in Poland, is the primary reason for the reunification of Europe”, Pöttering remarked. “I looked up to the founding fathers of Europe, Robert Schuman, Alcide De Gasperi and Konrad Adenauer, – he added – but not only them. I especially admired Pope John Paul II. His personal commitment for freedom and Christian inspiration, that he constantly transmitted, played an important role in the events of 1989 that brought to the collapse of the Communist regime. His tireless commitment impressed me profoundly and reinforced my determination to be politically committed in the unification of Europe. His appeal to Polish compatriots “not to be afraid” will forever remain in our memory. Today a Pole – Jerzy Buzek, is the President of the European Parliament, a remarkable progress indeed”.Promoting joint values. For Pöttering Europe “is developing its very own political identity and is gradually becoming a global actor. The EU is binding our Countries, that are often marked by mutually friendly ties. Solidarity is the foundation, while unity in diversity is what we long to achieve”. In today’s EU, “the notion of the State founded on the rule of the law is prevailing over the notion of the State founded on power”. “The rule of the law thus protects the weaker brackets”. This is “a historical achievement that is not sufficiently stressed”. For this reason “we must defend the State subjected to the rule of the law in Europe and across the world”. While “for centuries” our continent “was marked by wars, destruction and battles for national and ideological dominion, at the end of the 20th century human dignity, democracy, freedom and the rule of the law triumphed. This was the best response to the hopes of freedom and understanding cherished for centuries”. Former EP President quoted from the Berlin declaration (March 25 2007), signed by German chancellor Angela Merkel in her capacities as EU president-in-office, by Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and by Pöttering himself in his capacities as President of the European Parliament: “we came together with joy”. Thus, he called upon “Catholic Church members who repeatedly criticize the EU – instead of considering its achievements – to support and encourage those politicians who promote our common values, and not to put on them the blame for developments we all seek to prevent”. “We continue being committed to the establishment of peace among our peoples, human dignity, liberty, democracy, the rule of the law and the unity of Europe” is Pöttering’s final appeal. “By renewing this promise, we will secure our European Continent a positive future”.