Toespraak van burgemeester De Graaf bij de uitreiking van de Vrede van Nijmegen penning
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Today the oldest city in the Netherlands shows its commitment to the future of Europe, with a tribute to a great statesman.
Monsieur Delors, Excellence.
Nous sommes très honorés de vous accueillir parmi nous.
Vous avez joué un rôle clé dans l’histoire européenne récente. Aujourd’hui, au cours de cette première conférence de la Paix de Nimègue, nous vous remercions de nous accorder le privilège de bien vouloir partager avec nous votre vision de l’avenir de l’Europe.
I am delighted with the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen. The Ministry is a partner in the Treaties of Niimegen medal and I am grateful that the Minister will address us, and in particular Jacques Delors, this afternoon.
We are also honoured by the presence of the ambassadors of the countries who made peace here in 1678 and 1679.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Treaties of Nijmegen have often not been accorded the importance they deserve. Yet, the Treaties of Nijmegen do deserve our attention. The negotiations brought economic and cultural activity to the city. They gave Nijmegen the allure of an international city that was for several years at the heart of Europe.
The stories about discussions deep into the night, disputes about the rules of the road for coaches, and fountains spouting wine have gained their place in history.
But the Treaties of Nijmegen offer more.
They offer an insight into the evolution of thinking about peace in Europe, and insights into international relations.
Our former State Secretary for European Affairs, Frans Timmermans, gave some fine examples of this here just a few months ago. One of the lessons he highlighted was, that if one chooses to stand on the sidelines – as the Dutch Republic did – no-one else will give you a role, and you will always lose the game. I quote: “It’s no coincidence that, 35 years after the Peace of Nijmegen, in Utrecht a treaty about us was signed in our homeland, without us."
The most important lesson that the Treaties of Nijmegen can teach us – and Europe – is that consultation, dialogue and mutual respect – immediately and in the long term – can lead to European peace and tolerance. You have to make the attempt if you are ever going to succeed. The Peace of Nijmegen was an early attempt at a continent-wide and therefore a European peace.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In recent years, Nijmegen has been reflecting deeply about its past.
The Treaties of Nijmegen represent a special chapter in this 2000-year-old story.
This has prompted us to award the Treaties of Nijmegen medal once every two years, to be awarded to an organization or person who has made a unique contribution to peace, progress and tolerance in Europe.
The worlds of business, science, and government support this initiative.
I would like to thank our partners, Royal Haskoning, Radboud University Nijmegen and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their contributions.
We want to look ahead.
Nijmegen is closely bound to Europe – economically, intellectually and administratively.
The city is literally and figuratively at the heart of Europe.
That is evident enough, just from the activities of the partners who initiated the Treaties of Nijmegen medal.
The campus of Radboud University Nijmegen is becoming increasingly international: 16% of the academic staff now come from abroad as well as approximately 10 % of its students.
And internationalisation involves two-way traffic. The University’s goal is that one third of its students should spend some time in another country.
To make this possible, the university has established the International Research University Network, which brings together nine European universities from Barcelona to Glasgow, and from Siena to Budapest.
Royal Haskoning, the international engineering company with its base in Nijmegen, has 4,000 consultants, architects and engineers in 60 offices around the world.
Developments in Europe have immediate implications for the company’s future. In fact, Europe offers wonderful opportunities for cooperation, sharing knowledge, and recruiting staff.
Finally, the City Government has strong networks in Brussels and links with our German neighbours. And we work with other European cities in all kinds of projects and networks. Nijmegen is one of the key cities in the EU-region Rhine and Waal.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our past and our present make the Treaties of Nijmegen medal part of the DNA of our city.
Today’s Europe is to a large extent managed from Brussels and capital cities. But Europe is more than Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Warsaw, Madrid or The Hague...
Europe is in fact shaped by all those other cities and towns that, like Nijmegen, have suffered war and poverty because of differences of opinion between states and peoples, and a lack of cooperation among leaders.
Europe is shaped by all those who have learned from the past and want to develop a democratic, humanitarian and cultural community that transcends international borders. With the past as a powerful lesson behind us and the ambition to continue along this path of closer cooperation and integration.
The Treaties of Nijmegen medal is based on this ambition and has its roots in our city’s European history. By awarding this medal and organising the lecture, we honour great Europeans and encourage debate on Europe’s future.
And we are meeting in an appropriate place.
The negotiators attended services in this very church.
(That is, the Protestants did – the Roman Catholic dignitaries had to make do with home chapels.)
The city proved a good host.
The faded curtains and carpets were replaced by green velvet and silk.
People have been praying for peace in this church for centuries.
In 1944 the church was destroyed when Europe was torn apart by the Second World War.
While Europe was recovering and thinking how such catastrophic suffering could be prevented in the future, this church was rebuilt. It took 25 years…
Today the flag of Europe flutters on the church tower beside the flag of Nijmegen.
As a marker, for Nijmegen as an open city that stimulates thinking about Europe.
I hope that this tribute to Jacques Delors, and the exchange of thoughts today, will inspire many of you.
Now I would like to turn to the person we have gathered to honour today: Jacques Delors, the first President of the European Commission.
Monsieur Delors,
La Médaille de la Paix de Nimègue vous est décernée pour tout ce que vous avez fait tant pour la paix que pour la prospérité et la tolérance en Europe.
Monsieur le Ministre des Affaires étrangères nous fera dans quelques instants l’éloge de vos immense mérites.
Je vous demande à présent de bien vouloir vous avancer pour recevoir la Médaille de la Paix de Nimègue.