Flag day for EU's 'golden mullets'

EU institutions celebrate the 50th birthday of Europe’s flag on Wednesday at a time the European emblem faces an uncertain future.

The EU’s flag hit a serious setback with referendum rejections in France and the Netherlands.

The European constitution hardwired the flag, first adopted as the official symbol of the then ‘European Communities’ in 1985, into a new EU constitutional treaty.

Also included as symbolic aspects to the EU’s definitions and objectives were the motto ‘united in diversity’ and Beethoven’s ‘ode to joy’ as an anthem.

Inclusion of the flag as “trappings” of an EU state were questioned by the UK, and London has blamed Europe’s symbols as factor in euroscepticism.

The flag is described in heraldic terms as: “on an azure field a circle of twelve golden mullets, their points not touching”.

Perhaps as wishful thinking, the flag is supposed to symbolise completeness: as in 12 hours of a clock, 12 months in the year, 12 tables of Roman law.

The number of stars had to be symbolic rather than linked to members because the issue quickly became subject to the inevitable euro-wrangles – even 50 years ago.

France wanted 15 stars for the Council of Europe's 15 member states in 1955.

Germany objected because that would recognise the sovereignty of Saarland, and argued for 14.

France objected because 14 would acknowledge the absorption of Saarland into Germany, and so on.

Thirteen was ruled out for superstitious reasons.

The flag was included as EU symbol in the European constitution at a time when the issue of religion was a hot one.

Europe’s Christian Democrats pushed hard, and failed, to get God a name check in the constitution’s declaration of values.

The flag has long provided fuel to anti-Vatican conspiracy theorists after being designed by the German Roman Catholic Arsene Heitz.

He claimed inspiration from the Bible’s Book of Revelation and a description of the Virgin Mary wearing a crown of 12 stars.

• Previous article
• Next article