The European Communities, from which the EU emerged, were originally established to ensure that the peoples of Europe could permanently live together in peace. So far, this has worked so well that many people take it for granted – many of us EU citizens are doing really well.

But peace, prosperity and democracy are hard-won achievements in Europe – over centuries, generations of Europeans have developed shared values, fundamental rights and democratic governance under difficult conditions.

Unfortunately, nationalism, intolerance and discrimination still exist; in fact, they are growing stronger again. On the internet and social media, hate speech as well as nationalistic and far-right slogans are rapidly gaining ground. Across Europe, right-wing populist and nationalist parties are gaining increasing numbers of supporters. Whenever they are in power, they deliberately alter democratic structures with the aim of dismantling the achievements of liberal democracy.

Protecting shared values is not solely the responsibility of EU Member States and institutions. It is we who, through our day-to-day words and actions, bring these values to life. Being aware of this, living by these values and defending them often requires only a brief moment of self-reflection, sometimes moral courage, and at times a tenacious confrontation with other opinions and viewpoints.

They are our values – it’s our responsibility!