Celebrating 50 years of European construction

I love my union, my European union...the union that is being built since 1957...A lot of people criticize Europe for its slow decisions, its fights, its new members from the old soviet block...Those people seem to forget that such a political, economical and social construction has never been attempted before. It is the first time that nations with different cultures, different languages, different societies unite and try to build a better world. Those people also forget that peace is not to be taken for granted: there has not been any conflict within the EU for the past 50 years! The union is thus not perfect...compromises have to be made, sacrifices even...small countries sometimes feel left behind (I know what I am talking about...I live in the Netherlands) and big countries sometimes behave in an arrogant way (I am french...I know also what I am talking about). The EU is like a couple with 27 lovers....Making everybody happy is a tough job. We, Europeans, however managed, through the EU, to give hope to many countries in the world. When the US bring democracy with war, the EU brings democracy by promising a membership. Look how fast Poland, Romania and Spain (among others) evolved....There is no American dream any more...The new dream is European...and I foresee a brilliant future to it, if european citizens are ready to fight for it. Together for 50 years....and I hope together for hundreds more....