(Strasbourg) “We gather today, in this House of European Democracy, to mark a solemn and significant anniversary: eighty years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history, and the very reason our Union was born”, said Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, in the official commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of the conflict. A ceremony that also brings some war veterans to Strasbourg. “We come together to remember those who fought and those who fell. We honour their courage, their sacrifice and their defiance in the face of tyranny. We remember, so that the horrors of Europe’s darkest chapter are never repeated. They fought so that we could live in peace. They sacrificed their lives so we could live in freedom. They risked everything so our children could grow up safe. We will always remember them”. In the hemicycle – unfortunately with many empty seats – a video was then shown, recalling the war and the subsequent steps towards material reconstruction, democracy, rights, and peace. The ceremony in parliament was preceded by an official moment beside the flags of EU member states, in front of the European Parliament building.