TH4-Chapter 6: Building political Europe since the Hague Congress (1948)
Introduction:
• governance → “the use of institutions, structures of authority and even collaboration to allocate resources and coordinate or
control activity in society or the economy” => agents of the European project (EP); obstacles & steps in the implement° of eco° &
political union; its efficiency in creating common policies; feeling of community
• the various entities under which the EP has taken form (ECSC, EEC, EU) → transnational governance (to consolidate peace &
solidarity throughout a continent devastated by 2 WW + an ideological split [CW])
I. The roots of European unity and the first achievements
1) European projects until 1948
• before WW2: aim of several monarchs/emperors → build a united Europe (Charles the Great [9 th c], Napoleon [19th c])
Europe → starting place for 2 WW: logical after WW2 to look for a definitive peace settlement on the continent, which could be
done by creating common institutions & policies
• 1945, EU: devastated & weakened, split into the US & Soviet spheres of influence (early CW) => world ranking questioned (15M
civilian casualties, food & energy shortages, ruined infrastructures…)
→ W. Churchill promoted the creation of the “United States of Europe” (“(…) re-create the European family, or as much of it as we
can, and to provide it with a structure under which it can dwell in peace, in safety and freedom. We must build a kind of United
States of Europe.”
→ 1948: Hague Congress gathering all proponents of “paneuropeanism” & associations supporting the EP => 1949: creation of
the “Council of Europe” (COF) => general idea: create a new “European culture” to emphasize what Europeans have in common +
eliminate its ≠: importance of arts & education; respect for fundamental human rights; attachment to democracy & law
2) The impact of the Hague Congress: the ECSC
• COF → achievement & disappointment => 1st step to EU community, but less ambitious than Eu promoters expected: among
them, J. Monnet, R. Schuman, Alcido de Gasperi & A. Spinelli, Paul-Henri Spaak & K. Adenauer (“Founding Fathers of Europe”) →
most: proponents of federal EU, pursuing eco° & political union
• 2 main political trends strong believers in EU building: social-democrats & Christian-democrats → all agreed about defending
the basics of EU values (individual liberties, democracy, controlled free market) + EP also being build in the context of the CW →
gave the European Union its liberal foundations
=> West EU communists opposed the EP: 1st EU common institutions → OEEC (Org° for European Eco° Cooperation), set up to
share subsidies of the Marshall aid
+ firm believers in “Europe of Nations” → criticized the loss of sovereignty that stronger political association might trigger (DG
supporters, Conservatives in the UK)
• issue to be solved → should the EU building be full and instore a federal union or should it consist of progressive policies? 1951:
creation of the ECSC [European Coal & Steel Community] (FR, Germ, Italiy, Benelux) → aimed at liberalizing trade of coal & steel
between members states + set common supranational institutions => none of the members could make weapons of war on its
own to turn against each other
• USA & UK → no permanent eco° union w/ US as the latter would be too dominant + if an integrated political union was
proposed, other countries feared it would be British-dominated
3) After the ECSC, several failed attempts to deepen European unity led to decreasing ambitions:
the EEC
• ECSC → success eco° & politically (trade of steel x3 in 6 yrs) => FR (Schuman & Monnet) proposed the EDC (European Defence
Community) to create a Western European army: but fear of Germ rearmament triggered strong opposition in FR => National
Assembly rejected it: since then, EU still depends on NATO to ensure its safety
• to re-launch EU integration → Messina Conference (1955) => FR, isolated from the international stage after Suez crisis (1956),
needed its EU partners => Treaty of Rome (March 25th 1957), implemented Jan 1st 1958 => abolition of tariffs, intention to create
a free mvmt of all goods/services/capital
EEC → common market w/ common customs; free mvmts for capitals, merchandise & workers on long-term + supranational
institutions: Council of the European Union gathers all secretaries committed into 1 policy → the European Commission & the
Parliament + Court of Justice
