Current Affairs

European Parliament votes for making 9 May an EU-wide public holiday

, by Juuso Järviniemi

European Parliament votes for making 9 May an EU-wide public holiday
Photo: © European Union 2018 - European Parliament

On 12 February, by a majority of 459 against 170, the European Parliament voted for a resolution proposing to establish Europe Day as a European-wide public holiday. The proposal said that having 9 May as a public holiday everywhere in the EU would “reinforce a European feeling of belonging and create space for civic movements and activities”.

The proposal on a European public holiday was one of many included in the non-legally binding resolution on EU citizenship, presented to the European Parliament by the Spanish liberal MEP Maite Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz.

Other proposals in the resolution included the opportunity for citizens to directly apply for membership of a European-level political party. The Parliament also repeated its concern over schemes allowing for investors to indirectly buy EU citizenship.

In May 2018, The New Federalist published an article advocating for 9 May to be made a public holiday for all Europeans. In December 2018, Luxembourg declared Europe Day a public holiday starting from this year. Europe Day is also a public holiday in Kosovo.

Correction: The resolution as a whole was passed with 459 votes against 170, rather than 455 votes against 190. The specific vote on a European public holiday passed with 455 votes against 190.

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