Thanks to the confidence that the European citizens and states shoved for the European strategy proposed by Foreign Minister Luciana, she got free hands to negotiate a proper solution for Iran and the USA. The crisis began a year ago after an emerged disagreement on the control of a naval base in the Persian Gulf. The two countries ended up to a severe diplomatic crisis last October, expressively threatening each other with the recourse to a nuclear retaliation. An agreement to the severe crisis could only be found after Iran and US agreed to give the control of the troublesome military basis to the Europeans.

Supported by the both chambers of the European Parliament, Ms. Luciana could easily defend her position in front of the United Nations’ General Assembly and managed to get the support of each of the world’s continents in the Security Council.

Sertab Emre, the President of the EU commented the success in Brussels, during the 100 years festivities for Rome Treaty, "A severe threat to the world peace could be avoided thanks to the European unification and the abolition of the unanimity clause in voting on Foreign and Security Policy issues.”

…past conflicts and casualties couldn’t be avoided due to the lack of coherent European foreign policy and decision-making

The adoption of a Common Foreign Policy Paper, drafted every year by the European Parliament also played a very important part in the resolution of the conflict, since the mandate given to the European Government by the Parliament, was quite clear. The majority of EU member states in the second chamber of the parliament could only agree with this position.

For me as a “European observer” looking back to these events, there is a mixed feeling of happiness and sorrow when thinking of all the past conflicts and casualties which couldn’t be avoided due to the lack of coherent European foreign policy and decision-making. Thankfully, this now belongs to the past and we can hope that the common European Foreign and Security policy will continue proving its efficiency also in the future.

In the end, there is just one thing to say - Congratulations and Happy Birthday Europe!

Jessica Pennet (75). Grown up in a French-German family she devoted most of her life to further European integration in the Young European Federalists (JEF) until its dissolution. After she won in the European lottery in 2010, she devoted her time travelling around Europe to speak about European Federalism. She stopped by in Brussels to celebrate the 100 Years of Rome Treaty and commemorate JEF and UEF.

This article was initially published in the “Flourishing Europe” version of the Daily European. See the entire newspaper in pdf format here.