France InfoTurning Europe Day into a Holiday has been put forward in France by the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet and in Luxembourg by Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker.
It is a question of highlighting the existence of Europe and its unity since the Robert Schuman Declaration on 9th May 1950 came just five years after the end of the Second World War. In this declaration the French Foreign Minister suggested the pooling of steel and coal resources which gave rise to the ECSC, signed in 1951. After two bloody wars in the 20th century France and Germany finally came together to work on the same project with Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy. The Schuman Declaration is believed to be the founding act of European construction. This is why in 1985 heads of state and government of the member countries of the EEC (ten countries at the time), decided to name 9th May, Europe Day.
Today the hope is for 9th May to become a Holiday across Europe. Another suggestion would be to merge 8th and 9th May into one thereby bringing together the celebration of the end of the Second World War and the founding of Europe.
When interviewed about turning Europe Day into a Holiday Jean-Dominique Giuliani said that merging 8th and 9th May "would be a very good idea if the ideas behind it were previously explained". The Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation believes that it is an occasion to "celebrate the battle against totalitarian ideologies and to show a peaceful means to developing international relations." Jean-Dominique Giuliani would like "France to show its re-commitement to Europe by taking the initiative to merge the two dates, but again respecting the choice made by each and everyone."