(To be checked against delivered speech)

Address by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis

Opening of the Solidarity Parade of the Schuman Foundation

Warsaw, 15 May 2005

Mr President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

55 years ago, Robert Schuman presented to the world his vision of a Europe of peace and prosperity. In his famous Declaration, he spoke about “a wider and deeper community between countries long opposed to one another”. He spoke about building a united Europe through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity.

Today, after the long confrontation of the Cold War, after a spate of new bloody wars which have ravaged different parts of our continent, we are witnessing his vision turn into reality. As we gather here today for a parade organised by the Foundation bearing the name of this great visionary, we feel part of history – part of history being made – history being made through democratic revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine; history being made by free nations coming together to protect, extend and develop human rights; history being made through the growing unity and solidarity between the countries and the peoples of Europe.

History will also be made tomorrow – because tomorrow, the Heads of State and Government of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe, representing almost our entire continent, will come to Warsaw for the Summit of European Unity. They will come to reaffirm our core values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, the foundation on which the House of Europe is being built, the values which the Council of Europe has been promoting and defending ever since its establishment in 1949.

But we the people of Europe are not only watching history being made as a new Europe is being built. We ARE the makers, and we ARE the builders, all of us – because our dream is a Europe of citizens, a Europe of equality, a democracy BY everyone and FOR everyone.

The happiest place on Earth is where old enemies become new friends. Today we are proud to have overcome enmities of the past and to have become, for the first time in history, one democratic European family.

I welcome you to this parade, a symbol of unity and solidarity. Let this city, for these few days, be the happiest place on Earth.