Brussels, European Union. Yesterday in the European Union's capital was held the traditional meeting of EU's leaders and Freemasonry's representatives of the Member States. On behalf of the EU participated José Manuel Durão Barroso (President of the European Commission), Herman van Rompuy (President of the European Council) and László SURJÁN (Vice-president of the European Parliament) and on behalf of the Craft attended: Grand Orient of Belgium, the United Grand Lodges of Germany, the Grand Orient of France, Droit Humain (Belgium, France and Spain), International Masonic Order DELPHI (Greece), Women's Grand Lodge of Belgium, Women's Grand Lodge of France, the Grand Orient of Hungary, the Grand Orient Lusitano (Portugal) and the Grand Lodge of Italy.
Also, the event was also attended, among others, by Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski, Schulz's assistant (President of the European Parliament), Jean-Claude Thebault (Director of BEPA) and Katharina von Schnurbein (Advisor for BEPA). The leaders of the European Union and of the Craft discussed during the session on inter-generational solidarity and the establishment of parameters for the society of tomorrow in Europe.
In his speech, Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council said that he wanted to emphasize two principles underlying solidarity: the "European identity" and the "transmission" (to be read as perpetuation, propagation). Rompuy said Europe is based on four core values: Greece, Rome, Christianity and the Enlightenment, and that those form our identity.