In varietate concordia ('United in diversity') is the official motto of the European Union (EU), adopted in 2000. Its translations in the other 24 official languages of the EU have equal standing. It is inspired by its Latin-language version coined by the Italian Nobel prize winner Ernesto Teodoro Moneta: In varietate concordia or In varietate unitas, which is also used as a compromise. It is one of the newest symbols of the European Union, alongside the European flag and anthem but, unlike most, it is specific to the EU rather than originating from the Council of Europe.

According to the European Commission, "It signifies how Europeans have come together, in the form of the EU, to work for peace and prosperity, while at the same time being enriched by the continent's many different cultures, traditions and languages."

La Prairie's project (1998–1999)

In April 1998, French newspaper Ouest-Frances Patrick La Prairie proposed the organisation of a European mottoes contest for the, then 15, EU members' secondary education students.

Back in 1998, the European Union had already a flag of Europe, and anthem of Europe and was about to launch the euro, its currency; it lacked a motto, hence, the contest proposal. Le Soir in Belgium, Irish Times in Ireland, Berliner Zeitung in Germany and The Guardian in UK.

The project was officially launched on 31 March 1999 with the opening of the une devise pour l'Europe contest's official website managed by France Telecom. The website featured pedagogic files, created by the operation's general Office located at the Caen Memorial, and teachers oriented pitches and registration forms available in the eleven official European languages (plus Catalan). The contest's slogan was "The only prize will be to write a page of Europe's History" (La seule récompense sera d’avoir écrit une page d’histoire de l'Europe). Probably by coincidence, the same motto had been used in the title of a Workshop held in the European Centre for Modern Languages (Graz) on 23–25 April 1998:

"East meets West: Unity in Diversity". The title was chosen by Dónall Ó Riagáin, on behalf of the organizers, the European Bureau for Lesser-Used languages (EBLUL). He attributes the expression to John Hume, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland when he first used it, in about 1983, perhaps basing it on the text "E pluribus unum"’ on the Seal of the USA.

Since it had to be submitted for official approval by the fifteen Chiefs of State of the European Council at Santa Maria da Feira on 19 and 20 June 2000, President Nicole Fontaine stated: « I want it to become the motto of all institutions, just as we have a flag and anthem ».

"Unity in diversity" has been the national motto of Indonesia since 1945 (Bhinneka Tunggal Eka, in ancient Javanese) and on 27 April 2000 post-apartheid South Africa adopted a similar motto (ǃke e꞉ ǀxarra ǁke) in ǀXam (a sleeping San language), which also translates in English as "Unity in diversity".):

Since then this motto was used by several European officials during their speeches at Strasbourg, including President of European Commission Romano Prodi on 4 July 2001 « our real strength lies in "unity in diversity" », Italian rapporteur Giorgio Ruffolo on 4 September 2001 « Therefore, the expression 'unity in diversity' has been chosen as the motto of the report », Austrian member of the European Parliament Paul Rübig on 10 April 2002 « Europe is, after all, about unity in diversity » or Spanish Member of the European Parliament Raimon Obiols on 4 September 2003 « Yesterday the President of the European Convention ended his speech by evoking the future European motto: united in diversity ».

European Constitution (2004)

In 2004, the motto was written into the failed European Constitution's Article I-8 about the EU's symbols.

The motto translations were slightly modified since 2000, including the English-language version becoming « United in Diversity ». Though this constitutional treaty was eventually rejected by the French and Dutch voters on 29 May and 1 June 2005.

Europe Day (2005)

On 9 May 2005, the European Commission issued promotional items such as a postcard featuring the symbols of Europe: the European flag, the European anthem, the European motto (now "United in diversity") and the Europe Day. Only lacked the European currency which was in the Treaty of 2004 but not yet constitutional.

The same day the new motto (Unie dans la diversité) was proclaimed by 1,000 youngsters at the Memorial of Caen as a 5-year celebration. that was though rejected through referendum few days later.

Treaty of Lisbon (2007)

The Treaty of Lisbon, concluded in 2007, does not contain any article dedicated to symbols of the European Union. It retained much of the 2004 treaty but omitted the articles defining the European symbols, namely the flag, anthem and motto. It does however contain a declaration by 16 member states who affirmed their recognition of the symbols. In response to the omission of the symbols from the main treaty text, the European Parliament took the avant-garde in using the symbols as it had done in adopting them in the first place. Parliament changed its internal rules to make more use of the symbols. In the case of the motto, it would be printed on all Parliamentary documents.

Official translations

The first 11 official EU languages and Latin (2000)

The original French motto Unité dans la diversité was translated in the other ten official EU languages plus Latin when it was proclaimed the motto for Europe on 4 May 2000. The treaty, and hence the motto, was officially translated into Bulgarian and Romanian despite the fact they would not join for a further three years. Irish was not included but is on the list here as it became an EU language in 2007. Croatian has been included since 1 July 2013. The following are the official translations as of March 2017:

  • <br />()
  • <br />()

Unofficial translations

There exist translations of the motto into languages other than the 23 official languages of the EU.

Languages of EU member states

  • Aragonese: Unita en a dibersidat
  • Asturian: Xunida na diversidá
  • Basque: Aniztasunean bat eginik
  • Breton: Unanet el liested
  • Cantabrian: Aunía ena diversidá
  • Catalan: Units en la diversitat
  • Corsican: Uniti in a diversità
  • Friulian: Unîts inte diversitât
  • Galician: Unida na diversidade
  • Luxembourgish: A Villfalt gëeent
  • Mirandese: Ounida na dibersidade
  • Sardinian: Umpare in sa diversidade
  • Sassarese: Uniddi in la dibessiddai
  • Silesian: Skuplowańi we roztůmajtośći
  • Turkish: Çeşitlilikte birlik
  • West Frisian: Ienheid yn ferskaat

Languages of EU membership candidates

Further translations in the EU candidates' official languages were elaborated by the European Union or the candidate States themselves:

  • Icelandic: Sameinuð í fjölbreytileika
  • Macedonian: Обединети во различноста (Obedinemi vo različnosma)
  • Serbian: Уједињени у различитости (Ujedinjeni u različitosti)

Languages of former EU members

  • Scots: Unitit in diversitie
  • Scottish Gaelic: Aonachd ann an eugsamhlachd
  • Welsh: Yng nglym mewn gwahaniaeth

See also

  • Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
  • E pluribus unum
  • Symbols of Europe
  • Unity in diversity

References

  • « United in diversity », European Union official website
  • The symbols of the European Union: The origin of the motto United in diversity translation of Carlo Curti Gialdino's I Simboli dell'Unione europea, 2005, p.&nbsp;130–132
  • Members of the European Media Jury and of the European Grand Jury for the "A motto for Europe" competition
  • A motto for Europe contest