By Buba Gagigo
In honour of Europe Day celebrated annually on May 9th, the European Union delegation in The Gambia, alongside esteemed leaders of the country, marked the occasion with grand festivities.
EU Ambassador Corrado Pampaloni warmly welcomed attendees to Europe Day 2024, reflecting on the occasion with a mix of joy, pride, and a touch of melancholy as it marked his final celebration in his role. He noted the historical significance of the day, linking it to the premiere of the “Hymn to Joy” exactly 200 years prior in Vienna.
“It is my pleasure to welcome you to Europe Day 2024. This is a moment of joy and of pride for us, but—I have to admit – also an emotional, somehow sad moment for me, as it will be the last one in my capacity as EU Ambassador. And talking about Joy, I would like to highlight that the “Hymn to Joy”, our European hymn, was premiered exactly 200 years ago in Vienna,” Ambassador Pampaloni said.The Ambassador highlighted the significance of the historic ‘Schuman Declaration’ during the gathering.
“It was in 1950 that the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Schuman, set out the vision of pooling the coal and steel production of France and Germany. Joined by Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, this idea led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. The prevailing view was to start with economic cooperation first before engaging in broader political cooperation by making war between historic rivals France and Germany “not merely unthinkable but materially impossible”. This first community laid the foundation of today’s European Union: a community based on economic and political freedoms and cooperation, upholding high standards of democratic values and principles,” he said.
He also highlighted the enduring partnership between The Gambia and the European Union, particularly noting the transformative democratic transition in 2017. This shift ushered in a new era of cooperation, with the EU committing significant resources—approximately 500 million Euros—toward sustainable socio-economic development, transitional justice, security sector reform, and democratic governance in The Gambia.
“The Gambia and The EU are long-lasting, historical partners, but it was the democratic transition in 2017 that opened a new, hopeful and promising chapter in the country’s path and in our cooperation. Between 2017 and the end of this year, the EU will have committed around 500 million Euros to support a sustainable socio-economic development, transitional justice, the security sector reform and democratic governance. This scale of support of our EU citizens and taxpayers is simply unprecedented but also proportionate to the significance of welcoming The Gambia back in the democratic family,” he said