*** LUCIANO ANGELINO: Le forme dell'Europa. Spinelli o della federazione. Il melangolo (3-1 via di Porta Soprana, I-16123 Genoa. Internet: http://www.ilmelangolo.com ). 2003, 280 pp, 28 euros. ISBN 88-7018-492-7.
As pointed out in the preface by the Spinelli-inspired Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa (currently a member of the European Central Bank's Board of Governors), this book by Luciano Angelino is both "a biographical essay on Altiero Spinelli -an "Italian hero", who forms part of the limited circle of founding fathers in Europe - and an analysis of what Europe became in the second part of the twentieth century". We tend to share this judgement on this detailed study, which is both austere and passionate, on one of the great men of Italy. Luciano Angelino's (who has worked all his life at the Commission) book, , is a precious insight into fifty years of Europe and federalist events and also provides some of Spinelli's other work: the Manifesto of Ventotene 1941,the Federalist Thesis of 1943, the Memorandum on the European army, 1951 - which, although less well-known is "an extraordinary text as it integrates (...) the vision and cut and thrust of political passion, the operational instruments, the realism and the utopia" - as well as the Treaty of the European Union of 1984. Padoa-Schioppa says that Angelino, provides the reader with, " the extraordinary mixture of idealism and pragmatism, of straightforward loyalty to an idea and sinuous agility in his search, as well as intransigence and an absence of prejudice, which makes up Spinelli's contribution ".
He also provides a detailed analysis of this life-time contribution, following Spinelli and his struggle from his youth (the first part - "The Prophet of the new European Civitas" - is particularly personal and enlightening) until his death in May 1986. In the third part of his book, he recalls Spinelli's final years as a Commissioner and MEP, "The legislator of the Future". His ideas and speech to the European Parliament a few months before his death reveal his disappointment: "the mountain", the draft treaty setting up the European Union and approved in 1984 by Parliament - was the fruit of his last political battle - had "given birth to a small and miserable mouse", the Single European Act (which with hindsight has helped push forward European integration). At the end of his dedicated efforts to produce this draft treaty, Spinelli, in the plenary of le 16 January 1986, looked like the disillusioned "Old Man and the Sea" - "we have arrived at the port as well, and only the bones are left from the big fish" - but he still did not give up. His struggle and work of persuading his colleagues began at the beginning of the 1980s, when he succeeded to get some initially reticent British MEPs to join his "Crocodile Club" (personal memory: one of these MEPs was the British Conservative, but in no way Euro-sceptic, Stanley Johnson, father of the flamboyant and openly Euro-sceptic Boris Johnson). The old in years but still young at heart Spinelli, at eighty, forcefully called on his colleagues: "Parliament but not give in or give up. We have to be committed to getting out again into the open and do so soon, by providing ourselves with the best means for catching the fish and protecting it from the sharks ". This warning was repeated nearly thirty years later by the President of the European Parliament's constitutional committee, Giorgio Napolitano, when the European Convention handed over the Constitutional Treaty to the different governments.
Angelino makes the character of Spinelli come alive again, his work and his era, as well as the events that he experienced by way of different quotes from Spinelli's diary. He therefore quotes a lot from Spinelli in "his mythical language", for example in the period where he began his "long march towards the institutions", becoming an European Commissioner for industry, research and environment (in the era when a Commissioner was responsible for three portfolios),the time came when the puma that hunts alone (...) changes into a member of the European Commission", Spinelli , himself used to say. Angelino recalls that in Brussels, "Those who expected that Spinelli was an abstract ideologue were astonished by the way he mastered his cases and directed them". Spinelli explains that over a six year period, he worked on a certain number of Community policies with his colleagues at the Commission, "sometimes agreeing with them, sometimes in disagreement (...).In so doing, I used to really try and avoid just being a pragmatist (...), but instead attempted to get to the heart of the specific questions I was dealing with and to discover how we could and should have dealt with the issue in order to create something positive in European construction ".
MEP, Commissioner, Altiero Spinelli, in the final years of his life was able to fight within the institutions to put his ideas forward. Luciano Angelino points out in the second part of his book that before working at the institutions, this militant federalist had been the "prince's advisor", and in 1950, Spinelli was "someone with a double profile. Political agitator, revolutionary with democratic means at his disposal when acting in the federalist movements at both national and European levels; "breathing in...political power in an overt way, but not public notoriety, persuading Ministers of the Republic, De Gasperiien in particular" (following Spinelli's return, the "lone and solitary wolf" with "active and federalist commitment” in the "magical era of the movements" whose "fervour" resulted in the important congress of The Hague in May 1948). The first meeting between De Gasperi-Spinelli - that Angelino describes - goes back to 1950, land the campaign in support of the federal Union Pact initiated by European federalists an which in Italy had received almost half a million signatures, including that of Alcide De Gasperi - . the author is struck by the fact that "the beginning of accession of the Statesman, Trentin, already a federalist MEP at the multiethnic parliament of Vienna".
Spinelli did not share the enthusiasm produced by the Schuman Declaration because from the outset he had been an adversary of "functionalist theory" for integration, notes Angelino. Spinelli therefore clashed with another founding father of Europe, Jean Monnet: "Spinelli is as much a constructivist as Monnet and evolutionist. As much as the former moved things along from top to bottom an din general in particular, the latter moved along in the opposite direction". Angelino explains, nonetheless who prolific he was, in the phase beginning at the end of 1951 at the opening of the work of the ad hoc Assembly and the interaction between l "three dashing figures (...): Monnet, Spaak and Spinelli" in whom he sees "three very different character, one a country gentleman and man of the world, a pure politician and a democratic revolutionary, not necessarily made for liking each other but the circumstances and the common objectives had united them in an extremely effective alliance". This was, writes Angelino, "as if the presence of the Jacobin of Ventotene had succeeded in getting the bourgeois from Charente to speak in ways that were very unusual". In Spinelli's Diario europeo", he mentions Jean Monnet and says that, "I have very rarely met someone with the clarity of thought and firmness of willpower as with Monnet (...). We are able to see that it is a ma with a focussed and powerful will. He feels acutely but without rhetoric when assessing the seriousness of the European situation". He saw Paul-Henri Spaak, as "a purely political animal, but with a certain dose of political courage and imagination", explaining, "I often felt (...) that he was like a hunting dog, sniffing our the right track to follow. But he almost always found it without any hesitation".
Spinelli was barely thirty when he began to reflect and dream about the "shapes of Europe" which provides the title for this book: these were the years of house arrest imposed by fascism, first at Ponza, then at Ventotene where, Angelino points out, "in almost a single draft, during the winter of 40-41, the Manifesto for a Free and United Europe" was written. Since this moment of "revelation" as Spinelli himself calls it, "all the ideas and actions of Spinelli will be dedicated until his death on 23 May1986, to the imperative resulting from this enlightenment". Inseparable as from the moment of this revelation were, Eugenio Colorni and Ernesto Rossi, whom Altiero Spinelli calls the "two great friends of my life", and Ursula Hirschmann, whom he will marry and with him, lead the "the whole federalist battle". Those who knew Spinelli and this committed woman, strong and radiant woman could not have imagined them without each other. Looking back at this federalist approach, we also want to remember her too. Luciano Angelino helps us to do this with this beautiful book.
Marina Gazzo
*** GIUSEPPE TOGNON (Editor): La tela di Prodi. Una Costituzione per un'Europa più democratica. Baldini&Castoldi (Milan. E-mail: info@balidini.editore.it - Internet: http: //baldini.editore.it). 2003, 391 p., 15,80 euro. ISBN 88-8490-382-3.
Based on an interview with President Prodi, this book sets out to explain the "Penelope" project, the European Commission contribution prepared by senior civil servants and outlined by the President of the Commission on 4 December. The project constitutes an important political contribution, although the College has not approved it in its entirety. As academics, political scientists and philosophers, the authors consider that the ,the project for Europe proposed by Prodi is the best solution for dealing with the problems suffered by the Italian political national; on a perspective on a strong Europe can, they believe, help meet the demands for freedom and peace in Italy over recent months. According to their analysis, the federalist objective of President Prodi is to bring the European Parliament into closer, clearer and stronger contact with the European electorate of this small country, which today finds itself a little left out of the framework for cooperation established between governments. The authors' reasons for producing this book (which presents the draft for “Penelope , as well as some of the most striking aspects in the equation), are due to the fact that the political fabric of Europe is being torn apart, something that enlargement of ten new countries can only conceal for a certain time. Moreover, Europe remain the richest political breeding ground in the world: its responsibilities are expanding and the Constitution signals not only the future of Europe but also that of its citizens. This is a useful book to read in parallel with the work of the Intergovernmental Conference. (MRo)
*** ANTONIO TIZZANO (Editor): Il tratato di Nizza. Con i testi coordinati dei trattati sull'Unione europea e sulla Comunità europea. Giuffrè editore (40 via Busto Arsizio, I-20151 Milan. Tel: (39-2) 38089290 - fax: 38009582 - Internet: http://www.giuffre.it ). "Quaderni della Rivista Il diritto dell'Unione Europea" series. 2003, 543 pp, 30 euros. ISBN 88-14-10062-4.
After the approval of the Treaty of Nice, many researchers and teachers of legal studies set about analysing the benefits and drawbacks of this document, which has not ceased to provoke a heated polemic. This book examines the issues in an Italian context. Eminent Italian specialists explore, under the supervision of Professor Antonio Tizzano, Advocate General at the Court of Justice, this treaty in all its different aspects and general principles necessary for the sharing of competencies. They look at the role to be shared among the institutions, both national and European, as well as the new system for weighting votes. The book makes specific reference to the themes of legal cooperation between Member States, Common Foreign and Security Policy and external Union policies. The authors also provide an insight into the new common trade policy and integration of candidate countries into the Union. It also meticulously studies the need for providing the Union with a Constitution in order to enable it to take another step towards federalism. The accompanying annexes also provide a valuable contribution to this book. (MRo)
*** LAURENT MACE (editor): Quelles solidarités pour l'Europe ? Rapport du Cycle long d'études européennes 2001-2002 du Centre des Etudes européennes de Strasbourg. La Documentation française (29-31 quai Voltaire, F-75344 Paris Cedex 07. Tel: (33-1) 40157000 - fax: 40157230 - Internet: http: //http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr ). 2003, 320 pp, 12 euros. ISBN 2-11-005456-5.
This report from the Centre of European Studies in Strasbourg attempts to demonstrate how "Europe is unquestioningly an area of solidarity". Within Europe's borders but also in the countries and populations of those preparing to join the EU, good neighbourly relations with the Union and the rest of the world is being striven for, especially with developing countries. Solidarity is an ideal and set of values, as well as a method and policy, explains German social Democrat Klaus Hänsch, who wrote the preface to this book. The authors of this study have sought to discover to what extent Europe has been able to apply this method and make this ideal real. (OJ)
*** FRANCOIS JEQUIER (Editor): Le Canton de Vaud de la tutelle à l'indépendance (1798-1815). Centre Patronal (Case postale 1215, 1001 Lausanne. Tel: (41-21) 7963300 - fax: 7963382 - E-mail: jpchenaux@centrepatronal.ch). "Etudes & Enquêtes" series. 2003, 106 pp, 19 CHF. ISBN 2-940089-12-4
This publication focuses on a vibrant era for the Waldesian economy between 1798-1815, when it changed from a primarily agricultural economy to one dominated by trade and industry. This period was also marked by French occupation and the résistance of the “paper burners”". Interesting subjects for historical examination. (NJo)
*** EUROPEAN COMMISSION (Official Publications Office of the European Communities, L-2985 Luxembourg. Internet: http: //publications.eu.int)has published the following documents:
*** RDT info. European Research Magazine. DG Research (Information and Communication Unit. Tel: (32-2) 2959971 - fax: 2958220 - E-mail: research@cec.eu.int). November 2003, No. 39, 40 pp.
In step with international AIDS day, this issue of RTDInfo tackles the wider context of “zoo noses”, diseases that cross over from animals to humans, likes SARS, the Hanta virus, malaria and probably, HIV. The magazine examines efforts taken to improve our knowledge on the subject, which is for the most part still rather patchy and essentially empirical. It also looks at the possible ways for dealing with these diseases, which, unfortunately, look like they could occur on a more frequent basis. Other aspects of European scientific progress are also covered in this edition, which also presents a score board of the appeals for tender for the sixth framework programme.
*** Liaisons sociales Europe. Groupe Liaisons (1 av. Edouard-Belin, F-92500 Rueil-Malmaison. Tel: (33-825) 825371 - fax: (33-1) 44722027 - Internet: http//http://www.ls-europe.com ). November 2003, No. 91, 8 p., 31 euros. Subscription: 757,58 euros.
This issue almost entirely focuses on the fight against discrimination, such as racism, through a case study describing the situation in different countries and in the Union in general. It also looks at discrimination linked to age and gender. Other themes tackled include: a discussion on keeping older workers at work in the Netherlands, and Arcelor, which could adopt a framework agreement on restructuring.
*** Kangaroo Group Newsletter. Kangaroo Group (9 Rond Point Schuman, Bte 4, B-1040 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 5410330 - fax: 5384980 - E-mail: info@kangaroogrou.org - Internet: http://www.kangaroogroup.org ). October 2003, n° 35, 16 p..
This issue of the non-profit making organisation's newsletter covers the internal European market and focuses on competitiveness and competition rules in the European Union. Different well-known actors like Commissioner Mario Monti tackle the implications of European competition policy, and Commissioner Pascal Lamy, who examines the same questions at a WTO level.
*** Paneuropa Deutschland. Paneuropa Verlag GmbH (2 Hafnerberg, D-86152 Augsburg). 2003,No. 3, 35 pp, 3 euros. Subscription: 12 euros.
This magazine looks at our neighbouring continent of Africa. The continent is on the receiving end of a series of climate induced disasters, wars, diseases and, paradoxically, does not appear to attract much attention or interest from the international community. Through interviews with Michèle Alliot-Marie and Rocco Buttiglione, it provides an insight into the Union's willingness to define itself as a force for peace.
*** Paneuropa Intern. Paneuropa-Union Deutschland e.V. (17 Dachauer Straße, D-80335 München. Tel: (49-89) 554683 - fax: 594768). October 2003, No. 12, 4 p.. Subscription: 95 euros.
One the issues this publication deals with is the case of the new Chechen President. For some of his compatriots he is the man who called for a holy war against the Russians only to support them later on against his own people. this issue also deals with the possible accession of Croatia and the question of religion in the Union.
Reviews in brief
*** Unicef Annual Review 2002-2003. Unicef Innocenti Research Centre. July 2003, Florence. This includes an annual report from the Innocenti Centre, which strikes to strengthen the research capacity of UNICEF. *** EJC News. European Journalism Centre. July 2003, Maastricht. This newsletter looks at some of current affairs issues linked to journalism, seminars and training, as well as publications from the centre. *** Slovenia News. Government PR and Media Office. October 2003, Ljubljana. On this occasion, this government newsletter looks at the progress of the country's integration into NATO and its vineyards. *** Provincia informa. Province of Turin. July 2003, No. 3, Turin. This magazine presents European affairs as perceived by the region of Turin.