"We need to celebrate Europe, fraternity and links between people to maintain peace," Arthur Delaporte tells WRNC

Among those attending was Arthur Delaporte, the Socialist Member of Parliament representing the Calvados' 2nd constituency in the French National Assembly.

Delaporte is currently working on a number of European and international issues in parliament. His roles have included serving in the Franco-German Parliamentary Assembly, acting as the former president of the friendship group with Bulgaria, and vice-president of the friendship group with Italy. He has also worked with Ukrainian associations.

He described his work broadly as helping to strengthen ties between France and other countries at the national level.

Alongside his European work, Delaporte is currently focused on HIV policy financing as the president of the National Assembly's HIV and AIDS study group. He stressed the importance of continuing to fund efforts to combat the epidemic.

During our interview with Delaporte at the Europe Day celebrations in Caen, he said the event carried an important message at a time when divisions are growing across Europe.

"What we see in Europe today is that people are more and more afraid of strangers," he said.

He added that events such as the Fête de l'Europe help people to better understand one another through culture, discussion and shared experiences.

"This event helps us to get to know each other and to discover the cultures of other countries," he said.

Delaporte also highlighted the importance of Europe and the European Union for residents of Caen and Normandy more broadly, pointing to the region's history during the Second World War as an example.

"Caen is a city that has suffered losses from the Second World War," he said. "We know the price and cost of liberty, and one of the main tasks of the EU is to keep peace between our nations."