EU Order of Merit celebrates the same old memories and few fresh faces

Published on 19/05/2026 - 19:07 GMT+2

A palpable consciousness of embarrassment was noticeable erstwhile the Anthem of Europe resounded successful the Strasbourg European Parliament connected Tuesday, with a clutch of grey heads astatine the centre of the signifier symbolised the Old Continent getting older.

The conferral ceremonial of the European Order of Merit was meant to observe the European Union with an assortment of heavyweights who helped physique it and caller faces who tin signifier its future.

But of the 20 laureates chosen this year, astir each the 13 laureates who really attended the ceremonial beryllium to the emeritus cohort, leaving the lawsuit to service arsenic a snapshot of a satellite that nary longer exists.

A agelong database of past leaders, topped by erstwhile German Chancellor Angela Merkel and erstwhile Polish President Lech Wałęsa, were awarded the medal by Roberta Metsola, portion modern figures hardly appeared successful the picture.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, awarded the Order's highest honour, did not attend, and figures specified arsenic stone prima Bono, cook José Andrés and hoops subordinate Giannis Antetokounmpo besides declined the invitation to beryllium decorated successful the hemicycle.

The wide effect was a staid solemnisation of the European past with small position connected the future. Merkel, the astir awaited guest, openly lamented the spread betwixt the promises of peace, economical prosperity and ideology that accompanied the founding of the EU and the existent situation.

“To beryllium honest, we are a agelong mode from these promises,” she said to half-hearted applause from MEPs who openly dispute her governmental legacy.

Some of the speeches were much upbeat, specified arsenic erstwhile EU Foreign Affairs main Javier Solana’s recollection of Europe acting arsenic a mediator successful the world’s conflicts, oregon erstwhile Parliament President Jerzy Buzek’s smiling statement of the EU arsenic “a dream” and “a crippled of imagination”. But astir each of them evoked a past greatness that is hard to ideate successful today’s world.

It was hardly a coincidence that successful the hour-and-a-half-long ceremony, the astir affectional interventions came from the astir present-day laureates: Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who recalled however her radical person voted for Europe contempt Russian threats, and Ukrainian Human Rights Lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk, who tearfully declared connected behalf of her country: “Europe, we are back.”

As the ceremonial wrapped up with an ambiance of an aged friends’ reunion for once-prominent personalities to retrieve the bully aged days, 1 MEP heading for the exit told Euronews: “These awards look to maine self-serving and retired of interaction with the feelings of mean people.”

"Probably adjacent year, determination should beryllium a amended premix of laureates," 1 Parliament authoritative told Euronews, saying that EU governments person often picked nationals who person been instrumental to their country's accession oregon integration into the EU.

Launched connected the 75th day of the Schuman Declaration, considered the starting constituent of European unity, the European Order of Merit aims to “honour acts of courageousness and inspirations” truthful they tin beryllium repeated by different Europeans.

In today’s Europe, it looks much similar a privation than a certainty.