In his reflection on the need to “re-found” the Europe Union, also inspired by Pope Francis’ words yesterday, Edward Zin, biographer of Robert Schuman and vice-president of the “Saint Benedict, Patron of Europe, Institute” said: “It is clear that Europe today is not like Europe in 1950; Europe at that time was crushed between two military powers. The French-German reconciliation, which would lead to the creation of the first Community, was a seed of peace and economic prosperity. Over the time, however, the economic, financial and monetary cooperation became predominant, and we forgot that there cannot be any Union without common human values such as hospitality and respect for the dignity of every human being, especially the most vulnerable, without a plan for the creation of a federation of nation states, which is an unprecedented and innovative institutional form. Mr Zin added: “Shuman had a long political career between the two great wars. But he could not see 1968, nor did he see the fall of the Berlin Wall; he did not live the triumph of liberalism, nor did he see globalization and religious extremism. These new challenges call for a regeneration of Europe. Europe needs leaders able to address the current challenges, who use their moral strength to solve conflicts instead of fuelling them, to negotiate instead of showing or imposing their power”.