A group of pro-EU citizens have submitted an European Citizens’ Initiative to the European Commission to institutionalize the 26 July - the day in 2012 when Mario Draghi’s words changed the course of the sovereign debt crisis - as the "Whatever it takes" Day. Celebrating the European Whatever it Takes Day aims to encourage European institutions to stand firm in turbulent times ahead

Timed with the ten years of Mr. Draghi's non-conventional words in London (26 July. 12), a group of pro-European citizens presented the “Whatever it Takes” Manifesto to “set in stone this inspiring chapter in EU history as a landmark of EU institutional wisdom to sail turbulent times and overcome major obstacles.”  

The "Whatever it Takes", or WiT moment, should be translated into our collective culture of action. It symbolizes the zero hour of a historical change of course during the European debt crisis that saved the Euro and changed ECB for the better. It represents the turning point for European economies and macroeconomic recovery. The titanic battle against a systemic crisis along with the enormous determination to change the heart-institution of the EMU, must inspire future institutional endeavors in the name of EU’s progress. 

The organisers from Austria, Romania, Italy, Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, France, Sweden and Portugal presented this Manifesto as a statement of faith in Europe and confidence in its adaptive capacity to navigate present and future storms towards an “ever-closer union among the peoples of Europe”. 

In essence, this manifesto offers three key messages in support of a “Whatever it Takes” Day: 

1. To set in stone one of the most critical efforts to save the Euro, as an act of recognition of the EU institutional wisdom and resilience during the Great Recession that severely threatened Eurozone and national economies;

2. To bring EU voices together and celebrate the European values of democracy, cultural diversity, peace and human rights, in times of easy scorn, societal polarization, euro-skepticism and rising extremism throughout Europe;

3. To shed light on the adaptive power and crisis-solving capabilities that European institutions need to maintain to drive progress and face what lies ahead. 

“Marking this day in the timeline of the European construction is to celebrate the strength of our mutual values, recognizing the functional wisdom of our institutions that work every day to bring nations and people together during divisive times. This should be seen as a direct stimulus   and bottom-up appeal to EU’s collective action capacity”, said Rui Duarte, the author of the WiT Manifesto and representative of the European Citizens’ Initiative. 

“In terms of next steps, the initiative is now being formally reviewed by the Commission services and we hope to get green light very soon to start campaigning across the EU, mobilizing new voices in support of the EU project, their fundamental values and future achievements” Rui Duarte. 

Rui Duarte is a corporate communications professional in a multinational company and a former Portuguese MP, holding a MSc in Political Economy of Europe from the London School of Economics where he developed a special interest in monetary policy, the role of ECB and Mario Draghi's leadership during the sovereign debt crisis.