Europe Day 9 May 2020: ‘This crisis shows we need more Europe, not less’

Europe Day held on 9 May every year celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historic 'Schuman declaration'. At a speech in Paris in 1950, Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe's nations unthinkable.

On Europe Day 2020, the EU institutions want to pay tribute through numerous online activities to the many Europeans who, in a spirit of solidarity, are helping our Union get through the coronavirus crisis.

In the space of just a few weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic has radically transformed the lives of people around the globe. Apart from the devastating health consequences on people directly affected by the virus, the COVID-19 pandemic has had major implications for the way people live and work, affecting their physical and mental well-being in a profound way.

On 9 April 2020, Eurofound launched a large-scale online survey across the European Union and beyond to capture the immediate economic and social effects of the COVID-19 crisis. The aim of the survey is to investigate the impact on well-being, work and telework and on the financial situation of people living in Europe. First findings are now available.

‘The COVID-19 pandemic has massively disrupted the way we live and work,’ says Juan Menéndez-Valdés, Eurofound’s Executive Director. ‘This crisis shows we need more Europe, not less. No Member State can work alone.’

Read more:

• Living, working and COVID-19: First findings – April 2020
• Forthcoming publication: Living, working and COVID-19 - Overview report