We have some working days left between the Nobel events and the end-of-the-year holidays. Sending out greetings, working in the EU Delegation, we can not avoid referring back almost every hour to what were truly our "days of glory", earned through hard work.
I'd like to express our appreciation to all who transmitted congratulations to us on the occasion of the EU winning the Nobel Peace Prize. We are grateful to all, who expressed sympathy, who contributed to the wonderful atmosphere reigning at the different venues and on the streets of Oslo. This served as an important source of inspiration to our leaders and contributed to the elevated spirit felt all over the main events. For me, the Award Ceremony was one of the best I've seen. As the Norwegian press wrote, there was solemnity, tears and laughter. If I may add: all three at the same time.
The European Union came here as a worthy winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and a close and well-known friend. Oslo was in these days the true capital of Europe (to borrow words pronounced at the fantastic concert, concluding the celebrations.)
This Delegation has existed for slightly more than 20 years, but it has never had to manage anything comparable to the Nobel programme and the visit of the large EU group attending. It happened for the first time that the Presidents of the three main EU institutions travelled abroad together, as part of one group. They were accompanied by the Presidents of most other EU institutions as well as several Vice-Presidents of the European Commission. A very high number of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Member States of the European Union attended the Award Ceremony.
In the last seven weeks there was only one rule for us in the EU Delegation to follow: the daylight was becoming shorter and the working day longer. There were of course tensions and moments of quiet desperation. Nevertheless, looking back, everything went surprisingly smoothly. This is mainly due to the admirable job done by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the Nobel Institute and the staff of the different Norwegian ministries. We got solid support from Brussels. Finally, I can not avoid adding that the occasion has helped me to discover and admire the real capacity of many colleagues in the EU Delegation too.
Obviously, this has been a once-in-a-carrier experience for me, something to remember and echo. I do not have a grandchild as yet (and this is not in my immediate plans). Imagine what I'll tell him/her, in years from now, celebrating a future Christmas, about December 2012. Be aware that the distance of time embellishes things even more…
