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In 2015, Miguel Real publishes O último europeu 2284 (The Last European 2284), where he conducts, through the tale of an ideal and utopian city, an analysis of a European Union crumbling around all sorts of conflicts. In the current context, does Europe have a future? Is the future of a community compatible with human nature? These are the questions we will be reflecting upon in this article, through the study of this work.

"Em primeiro lugar, este livro não é contra a União Europeia e não tem qualquer ponto de contacto com argumentos nacionalistas, proteccionistas e xenófobos que circulam hoje pela Europa. A União Europeia tem sido um extraordinário caso de sucesso e tem sido um seguro de vida para a democracia portuguesa, bem como a grega e a espanhola, que seguiram Portugal na inauguração da Terceira Vaga de democratização mundial, em 1974-75. (...) Em segundo lugar, também náo é contra a Alemanha e não tem qualquer ponto de contacto com a demagogia anti-alemã que procura explorar e agravar as tensões entre os países europeus do Sul e os do Norte. (...) Finalmente, este livro também não é a favor de uma opção atlântica que seja entendida como oposta á opção europeia. Mas este livro é seguramente contra o entendimento da opção europeia como contrária ou incompatível com a opção atlântica. Pode talvez ser dito que um dos principais argumentos aqui apresentados é que as duas opções são compatíveis e devem ser tornadas compatíveis -- não só para Portugal, mas para todos os países membros da União Europeia que assim o desejem"--Back cover

In his last speech as President of the European Parliament, on 16 December 2022, addressed to the heads of state of the European Union and entitled "Europe must show allegiance to its citizens", David Sassoli underlines the importance of thinking about the Europe of the future. Bearing in mind the history and memory of the continent, the roots of the Euroean culture and its long traditions of humanistic and scientific knowledge, he presents three axes of development - innovation, protection and dissemination - for a Europe that must be thought of as a project, dynamic, hopeful, young spirited and faithful to its humanist and democratic basis.

Drawing on David Sassoli's inspiring vision, we propose a reflection on Europe as a utopian project with ancient rootedness. This project's uniqueness is marked by its unfinished state, always requiring the impetus of renewed hope. The European Union has to be constantly updating and deepening itself in order to survive. In the conclusion we observe how Europe has been a utopian goal of progress for the countries that comprise it, as is the paradigmatic case of Portugal.

Starting with the reflection on solidarity as the true and concrete element of the European Union, this article aims to reflect on the solidarity between people and states of Europe as the basis of the European construction.

One of David Sassoli's most outstanding initiatives was the Conference on the Future of Europe, concluded in 2022, which aimed to promote the European construction based on the voices of citizens. Given the Europe's historical relevance in the development of science and technology and my own European experience, I comment on this Sassoli's "political testament", highlighting three major challenges for Europe and arguing that, in addition to science and technology, the future of the European Union must be based on the values ​​he espoused.

This essay is a contribution to the tribute given to David-Maria Sassoli, highlighting the human values that characterized his presidency of the European Union, namely democracy and freedom, peace, solidarity, which are the fundamental pillars for the construction of the future Europe based on the cultural diversity of each member state.