Europe is in danger of giving itself a nervous breakdown with all the talk of economic failure and irreversible decline. So it’s worth remembering that, although things might sometimes have been better, they have frequently been worse.
And what better reminder than Tuesday’s ceremonies marking Victory in Europe Day, 67th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe and the unconditional surrender of the Nazi Third Reich.
May 8, 1945 marked the start of a period of recovery in which, with massive assistance from the United States, Europe rebuilt itself from the literal ashes of total war.
It also marked the beginnings of a pan-European enterprise that, for all the current failings of the European Union that eventually emerged from it, was inspired by the ideal that the continent’s nations should never go to war again.
French president-elect François Hollande and the defeated Nicolas Sarkozy were together at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris for Tuesday’s memorial ceremonies, a symbol that, although Europe might be broke, it remains democratic and civilized.
For more: A Day For Europe to Count Its Blessings - NYTimes.com
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