Apologies, the pictures below are not fun or escapist by any stretch of the imagination, but I felt compelled to include them as a reminder of how far we have come and that one of the key missions of the EU was to prevent future wars in Europe (which it has not always succeeded in). This week Ireland and Denmark are celebrating 50 years since joining the EC (now EU). The UK also acceded to the EC on the same date, but, of course, has nothing to celebrate anymore.
findingtimetowrite 
Perfect. Perfect post.
The EU has very little to do with preventing wars anywhere as long as the U.S. is running the show. I believe that they are responsible for the mess this planet is experiencing.
This is an excellent blog Marina. We do need to be reminded of where we have come from like this. If we don’t understand history we are doomed to repeat it (including its horrors).Thank you
Having been to all these cities apart from Bucharest, this is a graphic reminder for me of how things once were. The EU have achieved so much and are standing firm on Ukraine. Let’s hope that continues.
Thank you for this a timely reminder.
My father always said that countries with a common currency don’t go to war. He was right. We need the EU and it needs us. Many thanks Marina for this highly pertinent New Year post.
Such a lot to think about, Marina Sofia. Those photographs tell it so much more eloquently than a lot of words would. Thanks for sharing this.
A very poignant reminder, Marina. Thanks for posting this. As others have said, we (as in society as a whole) need to reflect on images like this as a way of learning from past atrocities. I feel so sad that we are now longer part of the EU, a catastrophic mistake that will take years (possibly decades) to recover from…
Sobering post, Marina – we haven’t moved on at all in this country, have we? 😦
Thank you for this post Marina. I feel so sad, and worried, that we’re no longer part of the EU.
So sad…
Sobering reminder. Thanks.
Thinking about Syrian people as well.