On this day, 69 years ago, six countries took a leap of faith and signed the Treaty of Rome. 🇧🇪 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 🇱🇺 🇳🇱

They chose cooperation over division, laying the foundations for what would become today’s European Union.

From a shared market to shared ambitions, that vision has grown far beyond economics. It’s about connection, opportunity, and celebrating what makes each member country unique.

Different languages, cultures, and histories, one common journey.

United in diversity, then and now. 💙

@EUCommission
The EU is obviously not perfect, but the way I see it it is possibly (not far from) the strongest its ever been. And that's with Orban's constant treason.
@Gurre @EUCommission a bit of optimism does not harm😉 thanks

@FrancoisPrague @EUCommission

A similar thought that struck me a while back:
Right now is probably the strongest and most functional the Kalmar Union has been.
Sure, the Nordics aren't in a union with one king now, but with all being in NATO now this is the most coordinated our militaries have ever been. And wwe're all EU+EEA, and freedom of movement since decades. etc.
Looks like a more solid "union" than we had in the 1400s.

@Gurre @FrancoisPrague @EUCommission

i was thinking polish-lithuanian commonwealth

and i was thinking that because they had a democratic system where only one dissenting vote could stop everything

and even more amazingly, oftentimes the dissenting vote was because of a bribe from #russia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberum_veto#Zenith

but i'm not being pessimistic, i just find that parallel interesting. i like you think the #eu is stronger than its ever been, and will only get stronger

Liberum veto - Wikipedia

@benroyce @FrancoisPrague @EUCommission
That is a good analogy, can't deny that.
And still I'd say the overall state is pretty good. Nuance and complexity abound.

But also: there's clear need for reforms. Less vetoes, kicking out lobbyists from the halls of power, etc.

@Gurre @FrancoisPrague @EUCommission

from russia's point of view, they view the eu as the polish-lithuanian commonwealth

but what they miss is that just many of the individual states alone (germany, france, italy, plus sort of uk) nevermind the rest are more powerful economically than all of russia. and the polish-lithuanian commonwealth was weak surrounded by powerful rivals (prussia, russia, austria-hungary, ottomans)

today it's more like the last dying gasps of one weak empire to the east

@kainisenni @EUCommission I knew *someone* would reply this. (and if they hadn't I would)

@EUCommission Surely they weren't thinking of creating #ChatControl 1.0 & 2.0 and Digital Omnibus in that era.

https://fightchatcontrol.eu/

Fight Chat Control - Protect Digital Privacy in the EU

Learn about the EU Chat Control proposal and contact your representatives to protect digital privacy and encryption.

@EUCommission I suspect leap of fate is a bit much. The Benelux cooperation is older and pretty much proved it was a good idea.
@jeffreyb @EUCommission They don't teach proper civics nor EU history in schools at national level and it shows. It's a pity that we don't have at least a miniseries about how Jean & Bob made it happen against all (considerable) odds because it was anything but smooth sailing. And the Be- in Benelux had to be bullied by Monnet into not sabotaging the European project's founding principles, btw.
@EUCommission I wish the EU would focus more on free internal markets and less on digital surveillance..

@EUCommission

From a shared market to shared ambitions, that vision has grown far beyond economics. It’s about connection, opportunity, and celebrating what makes each member country unique.

Different languages, cultures, and histories, one common journey.

WITH EXCEPTION OF HUNGARY.....

@EUCommission

"Shared ambitions" lmao... shared by whom?
Greek pensioners in 2012, Spanish youth unemployment at 50%, Eastern European wage arbitrage feeding German industrial supply chains?

Let's be real, the EU as it was designed by the Treaty of Rome is a cartel arrangement designed for post-Marshall Plan Europe to allow capital to move freely from primarily trade deficit nations to trade surplus nations, and to then further moralise and inflict austerity on the same deficitary nations.

To the EC, federalise or die

@EUCommission if we took a photo of the leaders of the EU now, it would look a lot more diverse - in gender, age, origins, social backgrounds, you name it. That's also something to celebrate!

@EUCommission I expect you to not just utter these "fine words" but act upon them!

It's your turn…

@EUCommission

I'm not sure "united in diversity" is the best caption to go with an image of a bunch of middle aged white men in identical business suits.

@EUCommission We know it's not all Ode To Joy & Erasmus, but Brits are missing being in the EU. While there's plenty badly wrong with the EU, eg, its stance on Palestine, Brexit was a stupid move, & denies Britain a voice in what goes on, besides the economic cost.
@EUCommission Not bad for a gang of pale males.