9 th May Europe Day Quiz

1. What is the European Union's motto?

• Pax in perpetuum

• United in Diversity

• Diversity, Freedom, Unity

Answer explanation

The European Union's motto is "United in Diversity" based on the Latin "in varietate concordia". Used for the first time in 2000, it refers to the values of Europe, its cultural, religious and humanist heritage.

2. The twelve stars on the European flag represent:

• Unity, solidarity and harmony between the people of Europe

• The number of countries which were members of the European Economic Community when the flag was adopted as an emblem of the institutions.

• The number of European Commissioners in the European Commission appointed by mandate

• The number of European Commissioners in the European Commission appointed by mandate

Answer explanation

The European flag is one of the symbols of the European Union. It expresses the identity and unity of Europe. The number 12 is of strong symbolic value; it represents the unity of time for example (the days divided into two periods of 12 hours, the year divided into 12 months). It can also be found on several occasions in Greek mythology (12 Olympian Gods, the 12 works of Hercules) and in the Judeo-Christian tradition; 12 is the symbol of perfection and unity as well as solidarity and harmony between the people of Europe. The European flag became the official emblem of the European Communities (the EU’s former name) in 1985.

3. Why is Europe Day celebrated on 9th May?

• It is the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration

• It is the anniversary of the end of the Second World War

• It is the anniversary of the ECSC Treaty

Answer explanation

Europe Day is celebrated on 9th May in celebration of the Schuman Declaration, delivered on the same day in 1950. The declaration is considered to be the European Union's founding text.

4. How many European countries are officially candidates for EU membership?

• 3

• 7

• 5

Answer explanation

Five countries are now officially candidates to join the European Union: Albania, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo are considered potential candidates. Iceland withdrew from the accession process on 12 March 2015.

5. In the 19th century who already spoke of the “United States of Europe”?

• Friedrich Nietzsche

• Giuseppe Garibaldi

• Victor Hugo

Answer explanation

On 21st August 1849 in his inaugural speech at the Paris Peace Congress Victor Hugo delivered a speech on Europe. The following is an extract of this: "A day will come when you, France, Russia, Italy, England, Germany – all of you – nations of the continent, without losing your distinctive qualities and your glorious individuality, you will merge together in superior unity and you will form European fraternity, absolutely as Normandy, Brittany, Burgundy, Lorraine, Alsace, all of our provinces in France have done. A day will come when there will be no battlefields, but markets opening to commerce and minds opening to ideas. A day will come when the bullets and bombs are replaced by votes, by universal suffrage, by the venerable arbitration of a great supreme senate which will be to Europe what Parliament is to England, the Diet to Germany, and the Legislative Assembly to France!”

6. The institutional triangle of integrated European Union:

• The European Council, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union

• The European Council, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union

• The European Commission, the Council of Europe and the European Parliament

Answer explanation

The Council of the European Union (also called Council), the European Parliament and the European Commission work closely together throughout the European legislative process. The European Commission (also known as the "Guardian of the Treaties") represents the European Union’s general interests, holds a monopoly over legislative initiative: it submits draft legislative bills to the European Parliament and the Council. By delegation to the Council it is the body which implements policies and bills adopted by the Council. It implements the budget, manages common policies and European funds and ensures that Member States implement European law correctly. The Parliament and the Council have powers over the Commission. Both are co-legislators in most cases under the ordinary legislative procedure. They also adopt the Union’s budget. The European Parliament represents the interests of European citizens. Since 1979, the European Parliament is the only European institution whose representatives are elected by direct universal suffrage every five years.

7. Who was president of the European Parliament for the first time after the introduction of elections by direct universal suffrage in 1979?

• Simone Veil

• Paul-Henri Spaak

• Jacques Delor

Answer explanation

Simone Veil was the President of the first European Parliament elected by universal suffrage. She occupied this post from 1979 to 1982. Jacques Delors was then the President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995 and Paul-Henri Spaak the first President of the Common European Assembly from 1952 to 1954.

8. What is the share of women elected to the European Parliament?

• 40%

• 50%

• 30%

Answer explanation

In 2021, women continue to be statistically under-represented in the European Parliament. However, the trend is towards gender parity. While women represented only 15.2% of the Chamber in 1979, they have continuously and progressively increased their numbers in Strasbourg and Brussels, and now represent 40.4% of MEPs. This distribution is uneven across the Member States. While France, Latvia, the Netherlands and Austria have achieved parity (50% of MEPs are women), other EU countries are still lagging behind in terms of women's representation at European level. For the 2019-2024 term, the country lagging furthest behind in terms of women's representation in Strasbourg is the Republic of Cyprus, which has no women in its national delegation of 6 MEPs.

9. How many official languages does the EU have?

• 27

• 17

• 24

Answer explanation

The Union has 24 official languages. This principle is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and EU legal acts are published in all languages except Irish. Finally, the Union has more than 60 regional or minority languages, spoken by over 40 million people. Even after the UK's withdrawal from the EU, English remains an official language in Ireland and Malta.

10. In which country does the town of Schengen lie?

• Luxembourg

• France

• Germany

Answer explanation

Schengen is a town in Luxembourg on the banks of the Moselle, and borders Germany and France. Signed in 1985 by France, Germany and the Benelux, the Schengen Agreement marks the first step towards the creation of the Schengen Area, the area of free movement of people, today comprising 26 European States - 22 EU Member States and 4 associate States