The flag of the European Union -blue with twelve golden five-pointed stars- is about to lose the difference it enjoyed with respect to those held by each of the countries that make it up. She is the only one not soaked in blood, no one has died for her. The principles of patriotism of proximity have not been applied to her, which Horace synthesized in the dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, because European patriotism had been a middle-distance patriotism, oblivious to “everything for the country”, so often used by scoundrels as their last refuge. The Union deploys forces under its flag on interposition, peacekeeping or training missions -in Iraq, Georgia, Sahel, Somalia, in the Atalanta operation or in the military training operations in Mali, the Central African Republic or Libya-, but when there are casualties, the soldiers are always buried with the flag of their country of origin and to the sounds of the corresponding national anthem. It is now, in Ukrainewhere people are beginning to die for Europe and its flag.
The national anthem of Spain, devoid of words, prevents us from such nonsense and from falling into ridicule to which those who sing their own rush excitedly
From the EU anthem we accept that, perhaps, it can open the doors of cosmopolitan citizenship, because listening to the song of joy and living dreaming of the new sun and that men will once again be brothers, seems more seductive than solemn nonsense and nonsense that register the lyrics of the national anthems that the citizens of each country sing excitedly. Let it be said that, fortunately, the Spanish national anthem, lacking lyrics, prevents us from such nonsense and from falling into the ridicule to which those who sing theirs rush excitedly. A different matter are the hymns that the Autonomous Communities have endowed themselves with, inspired by folklore or popular mythology. His consultation in the pages of the Official State Gazette with his lyrics, his score and his yoke proves that, in general, they are to run.
Other liturgical deficiencies in the Union also make it dim, as is evident every time presidents or prime ministers -whether they are Russian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese or American- come to visit the institutions of the Union. Because on those occasions there, apart from the employees of the private security companies, no military contingent, not even that of a company, can pay orderly honors. So there is that embryo of european armythe Eurocorps – with headquarters in Strasbourg, whose permanent members are Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Luxembourg and Poland and associate members Greece, Italy, Romania, Turkey and Austria and which since 1999 has become a Rapid Reaction Corps , with forces adapted to crisis management operations in which the Command of the Land Component of the Combat Groups (EUBG) assumes responsibility – but no one has felt the need to have a military unit that pays honours, nor to dictate a ordinance or regulation that determines to whom, where, when and how they are to be rendered.
The Union has barely reserved capacity for award decorations in recognition of the services that have been rendered. The closest thing could be Charlemagne Prize which, since 1950, has been awarded to the most valuable contribution in literature, science, economics or politics that refers to the European project. It consists of 5,000 euros and in seventy-three years only four Spaniards have received it: Salvador de Madariaga, King Juan Carlos I, Felipe González and Javier Solana.
The only genuine distinction in this chapter is the title of honorary citizen of europe conferred by resolution of the Heads of State and Government. It was granted for the first time at the European Council on April 2, 1976 to jeanmonnet to pay him a tribute of recognition and admiration “for having resolutely combated the forces of inertia of the political and economic structures of Europe with the aim of creating a new type of relations between States”. Only helmut kohl in 1998 and Jacques Delors in 2015 they received that same title. Will another one be granted during the Spanish presidency in the second half of 2023?
