Richard Golian

1995-born. Charles University alum. Head of Performance at Mixit. 10+ years in marketing and data.

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Why Was the European Union Created? Peace. And the USA, China, Russia and India?

From the Schuman Declaration to the Third Rome and the Chinese Dream: what each great power was founded on
Richard Golian
Richard Golian · 2 193 reads
Hi, I am Richard. On this blog, I share thoughts, personal stories, findings and what I am working on. I hope this article brings you some value.
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The public debate on a united Europe is increasingly drifting into directions I no longer understand.

I am amazed at what we in Europe can seriously talk about, argue over, and let divide us. And I guarantee you, when someone in the future looks back at what we are doing today, they will rightfully call us fools.

Please, let us restart the public debate about Europe. From the ground up.

We understand the world first and foremost in practical terms. What affects us, we first grasp as something good, suitable for something, or, on the other hand, for example, as an obstacle.

So let us remind ourselves: why did we start uniting in Europe? What is the purpose of Europe, and is it fulfilling that purpose?

Why Was the European Union Created? For Peace

The Father of Europe, Robert Schuman, in the opening of his declaration that set European unification in motion, wrote:

“World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.”

The entire declaration makes it explicitly clear that the purpose of European unification is peace. That the purpose of Europe is peace. And this peace is to be achieved by creating a system that makes armed conflict between its parts senseless:

“The solidarity in production thus established will make it plain that any war between France and Germany becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible.”

Has it worked? Is the European Union fit and good for what it was created to achieve?

The answer is that armed conflict between EU member states is nonsensical and has never happened.

In this sense, Europe fulfills its purpose.

That is why we celebrate Europe Day. That is why I have a blue flag with yellow stars at home. I am proud of what we have achieved.

Are the debates that today appear in political struggles and divide Europe more important than this?

If not, why do we let ourselves be divided by them? Are we really so weak that we let ourselves be torn apart by some regulation or directive over absolute nonsense? If something bothers us, let us argue, change it, win elections, and fix what truly needs fixing. But I cannot understand how anyone could even think of destroying the foundation on which Europe stands. That I will never understand.

The Schuman Declaration and the Goal of World Peace

When I return to the opening thoughts of the Father of Europe’s declaration, they went even further, toward world peace:

“World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.”

And even though the official European anthem is purely instrumental, so that no single language is favoured, its most widely sung version in Latin speaks clearly about world peace. The first stanza goes:

Est Europa nunc unita,
et unita maneat.
Una in diversitate,
pacem mundi augeat.

Which means:

Europe is united now,
and may it remain united.
United in diversity,
may it contribute to world peace.

Europe, at its very beginning and still today, was meant not just as a peace project within its own borders, but as a contribution to peace in the world. And in my view, that is something we should remind ourselves of more often, especially today, when we are still very far from that, and world peace seems to be getting further away.

What seems obvious to me is that we cannot achieve it without broader cooperation, at the very least with other world powers. That is the real problem. That is what we should be discussing. That is where we should focus our energy.

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Sources

The Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950, founding document of European integration: European Union

Summary

Europe was built on one purpose: peace through economic interdependence. The USA was built on freedom. China on restoring historical greatness. Russia on the Third Rome. India on unity amid diversity. These purposes seem fundamentally incompatible. Dialogue is the prerequisite for everything else.

Common questions on this article's topic

What is the purpose of European unification?
Peace. Robert Schuman's 1950 declaration, the founding document of European integration, opens with the words: World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it. It explicitly states that economic interdependence would make war between France and Germany not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible. In the article, this original purpose is presented as the foundation that should anchor all debates about Europe's future.
Has the European Union fulfilled its founding purpose?
In terms of preventing armed conflict between its members, yes. No war has ever been fought between EU member states, a period of peace sometimes called Pax Europaea. In the article, this achievement is presented as something worth celebrating and protecting, and the question is raised: are the issues that currently divide Europe more important than this?
What is the purpose of the United States according to its founding?
Freedom. The Declaration of Independence of 1776 states: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. In the article, this founding purpose is examined alongside the purposes of other world powers to explore whether these visions are compatible, and whether dialogue between them is possible.
What is China's modern national purpose?
The restoration of historical greatness, formally called the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. This aspiration, dating back to Sun Yat-sen and prominently referenced by Xi Jinping, frames China's development as a return to a position of global significance that was interrupted by what is known as the Century of Humiliation. In the article, this purpose is examined as one of several potentially incompatible national visions.
What does the Third Rome mean in the context of Russia?
The Third Rome is a theological and political concept formulated in 15th-16th century Russia, most famously expressed by the monk Philotheus: two Romes have fallen, the third stands, and there will be no fourth. It positions Moscow as the spiritual and political successor to Rome and Constantinople. In the article, this concept is used to illustrate Russia's self-perception as a civilisational centre with a mission that goes beyond ordinary statehood.
Is world peace achievable given these different national purposes?
In the article, the honest assessment is that it is very far away, and getting further. The purposes of major world powers (peace, freedom, historical rejuvenation, civilisational mission, unity amid diversity) may be fundamentally incompatible. Yet the argument is that without some attempt at mutual understanding, we will get nowhere. The first step is understanding what each power was founded on and whether it is living up to its own stated purpose.
Who was Robert Schuman?
Robert Schuman was a French statesman, twice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of France, often called one of the Founding Fathers of the European Union and the Father of Europe. On 9 May 1950 he delivered the Schuman Declaration, which proposed pooling French and German coal and steel production and set European integration in motion. In the article, his words are treated as the founding statement of Europe's purpose: peace.
What is the Schuman Declaration?
The Schuman Declaration is the speech given by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950, regarded as the founding document of European integration. It proposed placing French and German coal and steel production under a common authority, arguing that this economic solidarity would make war between France and Germany not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible. It led to the European Coal and Steel Community and, in time, the European Union. Europe Day is celebrated on 9 May in its memory.
What is American exceptionalism?
American exceptionalism is the idea that the United States is inherently different from other nations, founded on a unique commitment to liberty and self-government and often cast as the leader of the free world. It draws on the Declaration of Independence of 1776 and its assertion that all men are created equal, with rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the article, freedom and this sense of exceptionalism are presented as the founding purpose of the United States.
What is the century of humiliation?
The century of humiliation is the term used in China for the period from roughly 1839 to 1949, during which the country suffered foreign interventions, military defeats, unequal treaties, and the loss of territories such as Hong Kong and Macao. It is central to modern Chinese national identity, and overcoming it underpins the goal of national rejuvenation. In the article, this history is presented as the root of China's purpose: the restoration of its historical greatness.
What is the Chinese Dream?
The Chinese Dream is a phrase associated with Xi Jinping, defined as the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It expresses the aspiration to restore China to a position of strength, prosperity and global standing after the century of humiliation. In the article, the Chinese Dream is presented as the clearest expression of China's national purpose: restoration.
What is the motto of the European Union?
The motto of the European Union is United in Diversity, expressing how Europeans work together for peace and prosperity while their many cultures, traditions and languages remain a shared asset. The same idea appears in the Latin verse most often sung to the European anthem: una in diversitate, united in diversity, may it contribute to world peace. In the article, this phrase captures Europe's ambition to be not only a peace project within its borders, but a contribution to peace in the world.
What do the words life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness mean?
The phrase comes from the United States Declaration of Independence of 1776, which states that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It expresses the founding conviction that government exists to protect individual freedom. In the article, this line is used to illustrate the purpose on which the United States was built: freedom.
Richard Golian

If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, feel free to drop me a message at mail@richardgolian.com.

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