70 years of making Europe safer, fairer and more equal. Today members marked the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community, the body that later evolved into the directly-elected European Parliament. Over the decades, six European countries represented in the Assembly grew into a union of 27 member states fostering democracy, fundamental rights, economic stability and growth. The European Parliament has been a key player in the development of the EU, growing from 78 national representatives in 1952 to 705 directly-elected MEPs today. It is here to ensure that the story of Europeans working together carries on. Speaking in the plenary session in Strasbourg, Parliament President Roberta Metsola reflected on the achievements of the past decades and stressed the constant effort required to protect the best interest of EU citizens. "I am not here to say that we are perfect. We are not. Our processes sometimes frustrate. Progress is not always fast enough, or deep enough, or easy enough. We must keep reforming, we must keep pushing for a positive change, day in day out." Click on the link in bio to read about the ceremony in Strasbourg.