We are all French not simply because we support an ally or because we neighbour with a country led by a president who cultivates bigotry and is trying to pose as the leader of a religious war.

We are all French for reasons more important than bilateral relations or games on the chessboard of international relations.

We are all French above all because we share with the residents of Paris, Nice, and other French cities a common European way of life.

We are united by fundamental principles that were the foundation for the greatest political miracle after WWII, an unprecedented political construct that was to evolve into the European Union.

It is a Union of states which declare their constitutional faith in human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and human rights.

The devotion to these ideals as evidenced daily in practice is the greatest power of the EU and of its member-states individually.

It is for this reason that as many times as one may shout Allahu Akbar before a cold-blooded murder in Europe they will never be able to win the jihad that they have declared.

Neither Islamist terrorism nor any other form of terrorism will prevail within the borders of Europe.

The wounds that result from these attacks may be serious, but European history demonstrates that we have the strength to handle and transcend them thanks to our unswerving devotion to the values with which we are imbued.

We accomplish this with plain dialogue and not with knives or hate speech.

We are all French because we are all Europeans.

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