In collaboration with the CIEDs (Direct Europe Information Centers) and the Maisons de l'Europe in France, we asked European citizens to ask their questions to our three distinguished guests on our social networks.

They lend themselves to the game and respond to them.

Our guests express themselves on the meaning that this festival of Europe has for them.

For Clément Beaune, "it's a day of hope, of commitment".

Mariya Gabriel takes up a quote from Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of the EU: "Europe will be built in crises and it will be the sum of the solutions brought to these crises."

"The Covid 19 crisis made us realize that the EU is too dependent on the rest of the world," explains Raphaël Glucksmann, who adds that European industrial champions and workers in Europe must be protected.

"Europeans are not just consumers and geese stuffed with Made in China."  

If Clément Beaune admits moments of withdrawal into oneself with the war of masks or the closing of borders, the Secretary of State also points to great successes such as the EU recovery plan. 

Just like Mariya Gabriel, for whom the role of science and education is fundamental: "If we had not invested in basic research for decades, it would have been impossible to deliver vaccines so quickly".

According to her, if Britain is bragging about its results, it is because millions of doses have been sent to it by the EU.

Faced with the rest of the world, Clément Beaune recalls the need for European diplomacy: "It is still difficult to come to an agreement, but faced with the great powers, it is not at the national level that everyone in their corner will have the tools to assert oneself. "

Program prepared by Mathilde Bénézet, Isabelle Romero, Perrine Desplats and Céline Schmitt.

In partnership with the representations of the European Parliament and the European Commission in France.

The content of this publication reflects the position of the author only and is his sole responsibility.

The European Parliament and the European Commission assume no responsibility for the use that may be made of the information it contains.

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