Speech by Her Majesty the Queen of The Netherlands to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Tuesday 25 June 2002
Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,
It was with much pleasure that I accepted your invitation to address you at this gathering. You have thus offered me an opportunity to express my great appreciation of the important part the Council plays in Europe.
The city in which the Council is established has for centuries been a point of convergence where Europe's roads meet. With its historic centre and its famous cathedral, Strasbourg is one of the most impressive manifestations of European civilisation. But this city and this region also remind us of the nationalist passions and the resulting fierce conflicts that are equally characteristic of our European past.
Nowadays, however, the name 'Strasbourg' primarily calls to mind the process of reconciliation and cooperation that has marked the history of Europe since nineteen forty-five, a process that began with the Hague Congress in nineteen forty-eight and the foundation of the Council of Europe.
The importance of the work your Council does can hardly be overestimated. The Council of Europe is not only the oldest of the European institutions, it is also the body that links the greatest number of countries. Your Council laid the foundations for the European edifice that was constructed after the war. European integration is an unusual, indeed unprecedented, form of unification because it was imposed neither by conquest and oppression, nor by dynastic interests and royal marriages. Instead, it is the result of cooperation between equals and determination on the part of states and peoples. Here, countries are not judged by their size or their political weight, but by the way they put the principles of democracy into practice. It is a community based not on power but on law. This unique form of cooperation has never previously existed and can be found nowhere else in the world.
The circumstances in which the Council of Europe was founded were very different from those of today. In nineteen forty-five, Europe was a continent in ruins. For the second time in thirty years it had been almost razed to the ground in a total war that also claimed unimaginable numbers of civilian victims. It is not surprising that after nineteen forty-five the quest for peace prevailed over everything else.
Nationalism, which had often riven Europe so deeply, had to be overcome. This Council - and later the other European institutions - were conceived in the light of this quest. So it was that the envisaged European cooperation and integration came into being not in accordance with a preconceived plan, but by continuing to steer a common course even in stormy weather.
The achievements of this post-war Europe now seem obvious. But we must be well aware that they are not the consequence of a fortunate whim of fate or an inevitable historical process. They are the result of the will and the conviction of the peoples of Europe and of the imagination, courage and perseverance of the leaders of the day.
European unification, in all its forms, is precious. However, especially because of this progressive integration, the awareness has grown that unity must not lead to uniformity. Europe would not be Europe without the multifaceted expression of its rich diversity. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the cultural identity and the distinctive character of the different European countries and regions should be acknowledged and preserved. The people of Europe would not feel at home in a Europe that did not do justice to this pluriformity. The great Dutch cultural historian - and convinced European - Johan Huizinga stated this most clearly in a speech he gave to American students in nineteen twenty-four, when he said: "What we envy you is your unity, not your uniformity. We Europeans feel too keenly that no nation, however prosperous or great, is fit to bear the burden of civilisation alone. Each in his turn is called upon in this wonderful world, to speak his word, and find a solution which just his particular spirit enabled him to express. Civilisation is safeguarded by diversity. Even the smallest facets in the many-sided whole may sometimes catch the light and reflect it." Herein lies the distinctive task of the Council of Europe, for it not only clearly demonstrates that all the countries represented here form one community; it also embodies the national, regional and local diversity of that community.
We in Europe are thus faced with the task of doing justice to the identity of every country without evoking the dangers of nationalism and power politics. In doing so we must remain conscious of the mistakes made in the past and reflect on what makes Europe truly Europe, on the values and beliefs that form the foundation of our civilisation. That is not an easy task, for the words "Europe" and "European civilisation" have no single meaning that is generally accepted. Opinions also differ on where the limits lie to what we consider to be "Europe". Still, the founding fathers of our community had a clear idea in mind. Their Europe was not only a political, but also a cultural concept. Europe stands for a particular civilisation with its roots in a common heritage, a shared past, centred on Christian and humanist values which are translated into respect for human rights.
This is precisely the field in which the work of the Council of Europe - and of the European Court of Human Rights created by the Council - is of invaluable significance. For this is where the individual citizen can turn directly to an independent European judicial body. Accordingly, the Court's judgments have great normative value. Countries that are criticised by the Court usually find this very unpleasant. We in the Netherlands also know this from our own experience!
Vigorous debates are held in your Assembly on such issues as human rights, democracy, good governance, and the fair treatment of minorities, in order to exchange ideas, convince one another and seek solutions. Here too, account is rendered for the policies pursued in the different countries of Europe. In this way your members learn from each other's experiences, and develop a better understanding of each other's problems and of differences in customs and traditions. The Council also makes informal recommendations on desirable reforms and devises procedures to achieve them. The aim of this work is to support the countries of Eastern Europe by involving them as much as possible in the process of European integration. The influential Venice Commission plays an important part in the search for practical solutions to problems and in drafting legal safeguards for democracy. And so, very gradually, a European political culture is coming into being based on the pre-eminence of the law.
Your Council also carries out important work in the fields of education and culture. There is a clear connection between these two areas. It is necessary for the pupils of Europe's schools to learn about more than their own language and culture. One cannot do enough to give education in our schools a European dimension and to encourage international exchange programmes for pupils and students. A knowledge of European history is also of fundamental importance. During the nineteenth century, European states primarily developed their own national identities. Although that was probably inevitable at the time, it entailed a definite limitation. In the course of the twentieth century the realisation grew ever stronger that alongside the national identity there was a European identity. We are now increasingly aware that the citizens of Europe belong to several different social networks, each with a character and significance of its own. The Europeans of the twenty-first century are citizens of their community or town, their region, their country and of Europe. That is why it is most appropriate that the Council is active not only at national and European level but also focuses on local and regional organisations. Representatives of these bodies meet one another in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe. This forum brings the Council very close to the citizens of Europe.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As a marketplace for ideas, the Council of Europe occupies a special position within the complex of European institutions. The fact that you are members both of this Assembly and of your national parliaments ensures a fruitful interaction between your mission in Strasbourg and in the different countries of Europe. Although the Council's formal powers are limited, your work is certainly not without consequences. A great moral authority emanates from your discussions and decisions. Accordingly, one might call the Council of Europe's influence, Europe's "quiet strength". A Europe marked by further expansion and rapid change has more need than ever before of that quiet strength.
The Council develops - and tests - the criteria for the rule of law throughout Europe. More and more, therefore, it operates as "the conscience of Europe". The people of Europe are made aware of this by the frank and open debate in this truly supranational parliament, which finds a response in the forty-four parliaments of which you are also members.
The French writer Joseph Joubert once said: 'The purpose of debate is not to win, but to change things for the better'. Anyone observing what has been achieved here in a few decades can see clearly that this conviction has always been the guiding principle of your Assembly.