ATHENS – In a message marking Europe Day and the 70th anniversary since the Schuman Declaration, which ultimately led to the founding of the European Union, President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Saturday emphasised the need for real and not just rhetorical solidarity among EU member-states, in the face of the pandemic and the economic crisis that it brings.

It was a decision that put an end to dark decades of strife, political turmoil, atrocities and a terrible economic crisis that had dominated the European continent in the 20th century, culminating in the rise of nazism, Sakellaropoulou said.

She noted that, despite its weaknesses, the EU remains one of the few places in the world that can harmoniously combine a market economy with social protection and environmental responsibility, secure rule of law with civil liberties and human rights, as well as national and European interests.

"In a world that is ever darker, Europe despite all its flaws, mistakes and failings, remains the shining house on the hill," she said.