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While transatlantic publics snoozed, the European Union has been planning massive and often strange festivities to make the 50th anniversary of The Treaty of Rome, essentially the founding document of today's vastly expanded EU. And after weeks of hilarious and often secretive deliberations, today the EU finally released the text of the Berlin Declaration noting the milestone:

Europe was for centuries an Idea, a hope for freedom and understanding. This hope has been fulfilled. European unity has enabled us to live in peace and prosperity. It has created a community and overcome differences. Every member has helped to unite Europe and to strengthen democracy, the rule of law. We have to thank the love of freedom of the people of central and eastern Europe that Europe’s unnatural divisions are today finally overcome. With European unity, we have learned the lessons from our bloody conflicts and painful history. We live today together in a way that was never previously possible. We citizens of the European Union are united in our good fortune.

But the European Union’s absurd birthday bash says more about the EU at 50 than 1,000 bland pronouncements from the bureaucrats and politicians who wish to rule Europe ever could, argues Alan Sked of the London School of Economics in a special Saturday afternoon web exclusive for ForeignPolicy.com. Enjoy.