The flag bearing twelve yellow stars on a blue background has become Europe's most recognisable
symbol. Since its introduction by the Council of Europe in 1955 it has stood for the
unification of Europe's nation states. It was precisely this yellow circle of stars that
prevailed over more than 150 flag ideas sent to the Council of Europe by a host of diverse
private individuals. These colourful designs are being now published in Rejected for the first
time. They document the continent's zeitgeist at a decisive period in the development of
European unity. Alongside the flag proposals the trilingual book (English German French)
features a written contribution by poet and writer Marie Rotkopf who tackles the EU's
neoliberal political cynicism and Germany's expansion of power with biting irony.
