One can frequently hear the opinion that symbols are waste of time, that the European Union should not concern itself with irrelevant questions like symbols. Rather, this argument goes, the European Union's job is to focus on bread-and-butter issues, like employment or trade. This approach is completely mistaken and wholly misunderstands what symbols are about.

If we look carefully at how institutions work, then it will rapidly become clear that every institution maintains a set of symbols. These symbols carry a message that people will recognise, that act as a shorthand version - as it were - of that institution. And without institutions, democratic politics cannot exist.

So, symbols are a necessary part of the democracy that the EU regards as being central to its identity. Besides, if symbols were so marginal as their opponents say, then why bother to oppose them? The European Parliament, as the pivotal democratic body of the European Union, has every reason to promote the symbols of Europe as a means of connecting itself with the voters of Europe. Those who are against the symbols of Europe are basically questioning European democracy itself.

One could further argue that this is too a fluid time, too crisis-ridden to be thinking of the symbols of Europe and, so, not a moment when Parliament should spending time on symbols. Maybe so, but timing is something that always can and will be debated. In the long run, it will not matter whether the symbols of Parliament and of the EU are debated now or at some later date - on the contrary. So, my full support for this important and cogent report.