Call for EU elections

VdB warns: “A weak Europe would be vulnerable”

Federal President Alexander van der Bellen(Bild: ORF)

In a televised speech on Thursday, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen called on voters to take part in the EU elections on June 9. He called Europe Day the "birth of the European Union". On this day 74 years ago, the European states decided to work together for "a life in peace, freedom and prosperity" instead of waging wars against each other. "We decide which ideas of Europe we like," said Van der Bellen.

"Autocracies around the world - see Russia - are deliberately trying to weaken our liberal democracy in Europe. They are striving for more power, more land, more influence. A weak Europe would be vulnerable. And it would be powerless in the face of this influence," Van der Bellen continued.

However, a strong, independent Europe could defend itself against influences such as these, for example through a strengthened democracy, an intact media landscape and a functioning legal system. "And frankly, we must also prepare ourselves to defend our Europe against military attacks," said Van der Bellen.

And frankly: we must also prepare to defend our Europe against military attacks.

Bundespräsident Alexander Van der Bellen

"Rich in cultures, customs and languages"
Major problems, such as the climate crisis, must also be tackled on a large scale. "Together and united, as the European Union." Now it was a matter of deciding "whether this Union should fragment into individual small parts" or be developed further "for all of us". These small parts are, of course, all wonderful, said the Federal President. "Rich in cultures, customs, languages. And we all love our beautiful Austria. But: in order to protect the small - our country - the big - the united Europe - must be strong."

Europe's freedoms, easy travel, networked working, efficiency in crisis management or simply the freedom to live, love and believe "don't just fall from the sky. We have to do something about it," said the Federal President. That's why it doesn't matter whether you go to the EU elections on June 9 or not. "Take part in the EU elections. Your children and grandchildren will thank you for it."

Europe Day is celebrated every year on May 9 to promote peace and unity in Europe. On May 9, 1950, the then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe. One year later, the two former wartime enemies Germany and France, together with the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Italy, founded the "European Coal and Steel Community" (ECSC), which placed the two war-critical commodities under joint control.

In the following decades, cooperation expanded to other areas of life and culminated in the founding of the European Union in 1992, which has a common internal market and a common currency and now comprises 27 member states.