Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of West Germany, played a pivotal role in rebuilding Germany after WWII and fostering European unity. He prioritized reconciliation with France and supported European integration through initiatives like the European Coal and Steel Community. Despite challenges like the Berlin Wall, he remained committed to European peace and unity.

International Women’s Day traces its origins back to early labour movements during the 1900s. It was and still is a day to commemorate the struggle and celebrate progress towards gender equality. The European Parliament is one of the most vocal advocates for gender equality in the EU. It has passed major resolutions and laws to protect women’s rights, promote equal opportunities and combat discrimination.

The Maastricht Treaty, officially known as the Treaty on European Union, was signed on 7 February 1992, in Maastricht, in the Netherlands, by the then-twelve Members of the European Communities. It entered into force on 1 November 1993, after being ratified by all Members.

The Maastricht Treaty formally established the European Union, transforming the European Economic Community into a more cohesive and comprehensive union. It also introduced EU citizenship.

On 11 July 1995, Bosnian Serb forces, led by General Ratko Mladić captured the town of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia, which had been declared a UN Safe Area. In the following days, over 8 000 Muslims, mainly men and boys, were systematically murdered and buried in mass graves. Thousands of women, children and the elderly were forcibly deported. Between 20 000 and 50 000 women and girls suffered sexual violence.

The UN described the genocide at Srebrenica as the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War.

In this episode, we dive into European history to celebrate a key milestone: the 20th anniversary of the largest-ever EU enlargement. On 1 May 2004, ten countries in the heart of Europe joined the EU, adding nine new official EU working languages. It was a moment of celebration, unity and limitless opportunity.

The transatlantic slave trade represents a dark and painful chapter in human history, spanning over 400 years and affecting more than 15 million people. Despite the abolition of slavery, racist ideologies persist and continue to shape discriminatory attitudes and behaviours today. Initiatives such as the UN International Day of Remembrance of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the EU’s Anti-Racism and Diversity Week aim to raise awareness, promote equality and create a more inclusive society.

The Schengen Area covers the territories of twenty-seven European countries, including twenty-three EU Member States, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Inside this zone, it is possible to travel freely from one state to another, without being subjected to any border checks. It all begun in 1985, when five EU Member States decided to abolish internal border controls.

In 2005, on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a United Nations resolution designated 27 January the 'International Holocaust Remembrance Day'.

Holocaust, a word of Greek origin meaning 'sacrifice by fire', is the word used to describe the persecution and subsequent mass murder of 6 million European Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. Between 1933 and 1945, other groups were also targeted by the Nazi regime and its allies, among them Roma, disabled and Slavic people, as well as homosexuals, and members of religious and political groups.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948 in Paris. The Declaration is a milestone document in the history of human rights because, for the first time, it set out fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The document is composed of a preamble followed by thirty articles. The EU has fully embraced the Declaration's significance, using it to set standards in its legislation and international agreements, and to guide its external policy.

The single market is one of the most important achievements of European integration and one of its main drivers. Established on 1 January 1993, the single market allows goods, services, people and capital to move freely within the European Union. Since its creation, the single market has stimulated trade and increased the EU’s importance as a global trading partner. It makes life easier for citizens and boosts growth and competition by creating new opportunities for European businesses.

On the 9th of May we celebrate the Anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. At the end of the 1940s, the European continent and its people were deeply scarred by the Second World War. Robert Schuman was French Foreign Minister and well aware that what Europe needed was reconstruction and reconciliation. And he had a plan.

The European Parliament is marking 70 years of democracy in action - from its first assembly in 1952 to being stronger than ever during challenging times today.

There were many sides to Václav Havel: playwright, writer, philosopher, dissident, politician and head of state. Let’s look back at the life of a remarkable man.

This quaint thatched-roof house with sky-blue shutters is nestled in a leafy park near Paris. You’d never guess that this was where the future of Europe and its place in the world were shaped. But it’s true. This was the home and workplace of one of the founders of the present-day European Union: Jean Monnet.

In the night from 9 to 10 November 1989, with absolutely no warning, the Berlin Wall opened at the same time as the communist government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) collapsed. The Cold War was coming to an end and a momentous page was being turned in Europe’s history. A month later, the Brandenburg Gate officially opened, definitively restoring free movement between the two Germanies. On 3 October 1990, German unification was achieved, effectively transforming the future of European integration.

After the European Parliament’s first election by universal suffrage in 1979, it was a woman who presided over the new Parliament’s inaugural sitting. Let’s look back at the life of this exceptional woman: Louise Weiss... Listen to the podcast

In December 2000, the European Union drew up its own Charter of Fundamental Rights. A real ‘declaration of rights’ for the EU, the Charter was innovative not just in its content, but also in the way it was drawn up. Let’s take a closer look at the Charter and how it was created.

May 9th is Europe Day, a celebration of peace and unity in Europe. May 9th was chosen to commemorate the Schuman Declaration, the statement made by the then French foreign minister Robert Schuman, paving the way for the European Union we know today.

De Gasperi was an inspiring force behind the creation of the European Economic Community, bringing us one step closer to the European Union we know today.