The only comment this column will be making on the 60th anniversary of the “Schuman declaration” is to point out that it changed the course of history: in a continent where wars broke out almost on a 20 year basis, this is no longer the case among the countries that are signatory to this declaration and there won't be any wars between them in the future either. This is a given fact but another speech, no thanks. I would only be repeating, less eloquently, what so many other figures have written or pronounced or are preparing to. I believe it is more useful to expand a single consideration that will not be shared by all.
Transformation period. It is as follows: I consider that there are analogies between what Europe experienced 60 years ago and what is currently happening. We are living in a period of transformation and the public is not always aware of this, and its significance, until later. This is a similar situation to what happened with the Schuman declaration. We should not imagine that a lot of people understood, in 1950, the significance of a project that at first glance was purely economic and technical. At the time, it had a short term impact and the political significance of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was quickly forgotten or ignored. The impact of the definitive reconciliation between France and Germany was tangible and understood by the generation that had known war; the Schuman declaration was clear, the ECSC was described as “the first stage of the European Federation”, in compliance with the Monnet doctrine in which “Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity”. It was a daring project that involved the creation of a supranational High Authority.
The generations that followed, however, subsequently gave the impression that they had largely forgotten or misunderstood Monnet, Schuman, Adenauer, De Gasperi and Spaak - to the extent that several years later, the Declaration of Laeken, which relaunched Europe's political construction, affirmed that at the beginning of European construction, “it was primarily an initiative involving economic and technical cooperation”.
In fact, Jean Monnet, in his meeting on 23 May 1950 with Konrad Adenauer, explained that “these heavy industries (coal and steel) were linked in opinion to the idea of war; orientating them towards a common goal would help modify the psychological climate”. The creation of the ECSC was therefore “essentially political and contained, let's say, a moral aspect”. According to the report on this meeting, Adenauer said that he considered putting this project into practice as his most important task, and that “if he manages to accomplish it, he believes that he will not have wasted his life”.
Most recent developments. How can I dare to attempt to make a comparison between what happened 60 years ago and what is happening today? Because the projects currently being hatched contain, if they are carried out, the instruments that will help relaunch European construction according to the demands of our current era. I would like to underline the most important of these, in addition to the most recent developments affecting them:
the institutional structure of common foreign policy is gradually being put in place. Under the impetus of its permanent president, the European Council regularly discusses this matter, the triple role of the high representative/president of the foreign affairs Council/Commission vice president is up and running, and the common diplomatic service has been prepared and is now being negotiated between the Council and the European Parliament;
the principle of economic governance for the euro zone has been accepted at a political level and its practical implementation is now the subject of far-reaching negotiations that are proving both difficult and intense. On Friday evening, the heads of state and government will examine this subject;
on Thursday, Jacques Delors and the president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, will present their, “common declaration for a European Energy Community based on the project discussed at length in this column in EUROPE 10112 and 10115 ;
the very ambitious project for a European freedom, security and justice area has entered its operational phase (see this column in EUROPE 10129) and the project for the single European sky has been relaunched.
These projects are developing in an atmosphere that is not always easy and which includes the scepticism and criticism meted out by the media, as well as the distrust or disinterest of a large section of public opinion. This is more or less the same climate that accompanied the Schuman declaration and its repercussions 60 years ago. (F.R./transl.fl)
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Note: the 2nd commentary on the Union for the Mediterranean will be published tomorrow.