EUROPEAN SOCIETIES
LECTURE 1: THE EUROPEAN PROJECT: SOME
OF THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Purpose:
- How did the European union project emerged?
- What have been accomplishments
- What are big challenges
Introduction
Antwerp 1944: its close to home: picture of place next the central station -> Antwerp was
important and strategic point (e.g. harbor) a lot of bombing
France 1945: a lot of destruction
Italy 1945: same side as Germany: massive destruction
Berlin 1945: again massive destruction
Concentration camp where a lot of people died
80+ years later…
Now: boats with refugees, a lot of deads due that -> risking life to get to safer place (europe
not very welcoming so when coast guard find them they get pushed back
Picture sand in spain a lot of people tried to get there
Migrants trying to get in
So how did we get from first to last picture? Since 2WO it did get better but at many places
there is still massive distruction e.g. Gaza
A short history of the project called the European Union Or, peace through prosperity
BEGINNINGS AFTER WWII
• End of the Second World War left Europe divided between the communist, Soviet
dominated, eastern bloc, and the largely democratic western nations.
• Fears over what direction a rebuilt Germany would take, perceived need to bind
Germany into pan-European democratic institutions e.g. Germany paid with giving
Elzas to France
• Expansion of the communist east.
Spinelli: Italian communist Ideas brewing.. While locked up under Fascism, communist
Altiero Spinelli writes the Ventotene Manifesto “For a Free and United Europe.” While
locked up on Island of the coast of Napels
1
,“For a free and united Europe. A draft Manifesto”Spinello
• The sovereign nation-state is the root cause of 20th-century crises -> persuing
national interest is root cost of conflicts
• Peace requires thus abolishing absolute national sovereignty and building a federal
European state with real supranational powers
• Calls for a socialist-inspired economic order that rejects both unrestrained capitalist
individualism and authoritarian collectivism
• And policies aimed at reducing inequality, expanding social rights, and ensuring
dignified living conditions.
• War had left Europe exhausted, with industry greatly damaged
• Six neighboring countries agreed in The Treaty of Paris to form an area of free trade
for several key resources including coal, steel and iron ore, chosen for their key role
in industry and the military.
• European Coal and Steel Community and involved Germany, Belgium, France,
Holland, Italy and Luxembourg. It began on 23 July 1952 and ended on 23 July 2002,
replaced by further unions.
• to manage the ECSC, a group of ‘supranational’ (a level of governance above the
nation state) bodies were created to legislate, develop ideas and resolve disputes:
• Council of Ministers, with ministers of all these countries
• Common Assembly,
• Court of Justice,
• from these key bodies the later EU would emerge
TREATY OF ROME
• need to rebuild Europe, free trade area,…
• Successof the ECSC led to the member nations signing two new treaties in 1957, both
called the treaty of Rome. (not only steal and coal)
• Created two new bodies: the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and
the European Economic Community.
• This EEC created a common market among the member nations, with no tariffs or
impediments to the flow of labour and goods.
EEC
• By 1970 trade within the common market had increased fivefold.
• The EEC created several supranational bodies: a Council of Ministers to make
decisions, a Common Assembly (called the European Parliament from 1962) to give
advice, a court which could overrule member states and a commission to put the
policy into affect.
• The 1965 Brussels Treaty merged the commissions of the EEC, ECSC and Euratom to
create a joint and permanent civil service.
2
,EXPANSION
Over the 70s and 80s the membership
of the EEC expanded, allowing
Denmark, Ireland and the UK in 1973, In 1987 the Single European Act (SEA):
Greece in 1981 and Portugal and Single Market
Spain in 1986.
1979
the 70s and 80s 1987
European Monetary System
introduced in 1979 and methods of
giving grants to underdeveloped
areas.
- More countries join European community
- More deepening, more power to EC
SCHENGEN
• The Schengen Agreement signed on June 14, 1985, is a treaty that led most of the
European countries towards abolishment of their national borders, to build a Europe
without borders known as “Schengen Area”. Signed in Luxemburg, initially by only
five EU countries, the agreement remains one of the world’s biggest areas that have
ended border control between member countries.
14 JUNE 1985: signing the Schengen Agreement: not many pictures because they didn’t
realize that it would be that important later
3
, MAASTRICHT TREATY
• Treaty on European Union, (the Maastricht Treaty) came into force on 1 November
1993 and changed the EEC into the newly named European Union.
• Broadened the work of the supranational bodies, based around three “pillars”:
• Involvement in the domestic affairs of member nations on “justice and home affairs”
(and for that reason it only narrowly passed in France and forced a vote in the UK)
• Single European currency created (plus conditions for membership)
FURTHER ENLARGEMENTS
• In 1995 Sweden, Austria and Finland join
• ‘Schengen’ agreement gradually allows people to travel without having their
passports checked at the borders.
• 1997 Stability and Growth Pact
• In 1999 the Treaty of Amsterdam brings employment, working and living conditions
into the EU remit -> we need some level of social cooperation/coordination e.g. fair
competition, working circumstances, safety circumstances
2000s
• 1 January 1999: Introduction of the Euro
• Ten nations joined in 2004 (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and two in 2007 (Bulgaria and
Romania).
• By this time there had been agreements to apply (quality) majority voting to more
issues, but national vetoes remained on tax, security and other issues.
LISBON TREATY
• The Convention on the Future of Europe was created in 2002 to create an EU
constitution, and the draft, signed in 2004, aimed to install a permanent EU
president, a Foreign Minister and a Charter of Rights.
• It was rejected in 2005, when France and the Netherlands failed to ratify it (and
before other EU members got the chance to vote).
• An amended work, the Lisbon Treaty, was signed in 2007 but was initially rejected,
this time by voters in Ireland. However, in 2009 Irish voters passed the treaty.
• By the winter 2009 all 27 EU states had ratified the process, and it took effect.
• Herman Van Rompuy became the first ‘President of the European Council’
What has it brought us? Next graphs from OECD How was life? See ppt
Politics matter -> democracy isn’t obvious
80 years of peace within Europe (For the most part)
And prosperity (For the most part)
4
LECTURE 1: THE EUROPEAN PROJECT: SOME
OF THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
Purpose:
- How did the European union project emerged?
- What have been accomplishments
- What are big challenges
Introduction
Antwerp 1944: its close to home: picture of place next the central station -> Antwerp was
important and strategic point (e.g. harbor) a lot of bombing
France 1945: a lot of destruction
Italy 1945: same side as Germany: massive destruction
Berlin 1945: again massive destruction
Concentration camp where a lot of people died
80+ years later…
Now: boats with refugees, a lot of deads due that -> risking life to get to safer place (europe
not very welcoming so when coast guard find them they get pushed back
Picture sand in spain a lot of people tried to get there
Migrants trying to get in
So how did we get from first to last picture? Since 2WO it did get better but at many places
there is still massive distruction e.g. Gaza
A short history of the project called the European Union Or, peace through prosperity
BEGINNINGS AFTER WWII
• End of the Second World War left Europe divided between the communist, Soviet
dominated, eastern bloc, and the largely democratic western nations.
• Fears over what direction a rebuilt Germany would take, perceived need to bind
Germany into pan-European democratic institutions e.g. Germany paid with giving
Elzas to France
• Expansion of the communist east.
Spinelli: Italian communist Ideas brewing.. While locked up under Fascism, communist
Altiero Spinelli writes the Ventotene Manifesto “For a Free and United Europe.” While
locked up on Island of the coast of Napels
1
,“For a free and united Europe. A draft Manifesto”Spinello
• The sovereign nation-state is the root cause of 20th-century crises -> persuing
national interest is root cost of conflicts
• Peace requires thus abolishing absolute national sovereignty and building a federal
European state with real supranational powers
• Calls for a socialist-inspired economic order that rejects both unrestrained capitalist
individualism and authoritarian collectivism
• And policies aimed at reducing inequality, expanding social rights, and ensuring
dignified living conditions.
• War had left Europe exhausted, with industry greatly damaged
• Six neighboring countries agreed in The Treaty of Paris to form an area of free trade
for several key resources including coal, steel and iron ore, chosen for their key role
in industry and the military.
• European Coal and Steel Community and involved Germany, Belgium, France,
Holland, Italy and Luxembourg. It began on 23 July 1952 and ended on 23 July 2002,
replaced by further unions.
• to manage the ECSC, a group of ‘supranational’ (a level of governance above the
nation state) bodies were created to legislate, develop ideas and resolve disputes:
• Council of Ministers, with ministers of all these countries
• Common Assembly,
• Court of Justice,
• from these key bodies the later EU would emerge
TREATY OF ROME
• need to rebuild Europe, free trade area,…
• Successof the ECSC led to the member nations signing two new treaties in 1957, both
called the treaty of Rome. (not only steal and coal)
• Created two new bodies: the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and
the European Economic Community.
• This EEC created a common market among the member nations, with no tariffs or
impediments to the flow of labour and goods.
EEC
• By 1970 trade within the common market had increased fivefold.
• The EEC created several supranational bodies: a Council of Ministers to make
decisions, a Common Assembly (called the European Parliament from 1962) to give
advice, a court which could overrule member states and a commission to put the
policy into affect.
• The 1965 Brussels Treaty merged the commissions of the EEC, ECSC and Euratom to
create a joint and permanent civil service.
2
,EXPANSION
Over the 70s and 80s the membership
of the EEC expanded, allowing
Denmark, Ireland and the UK in 1973, In 1987 the Single European Act (SEA):
Greece in 1981 and Portugal and Single Market
Spain in 1986.
1979
the 70s and 80s 1987
European Monetary System
introduced in 1979 and methods of
giving grants to underdeveloped
areas.
- More countries join European community
- More deepening, more power to EC
SCHENGEN
• The Schengen Agreement signed on June 14, 1985, is a treaty that led most of the
European countries towards abolishment of their national borders, to build a Europe
without borders known as “Schengen Area”. Signed in Luxemburg, initially by only
five EU countries, the agreement remains one of the world’s biggest areas that have
ended border control between member countries.
14 JUNE 1985: signing the Schengen Agreement: not many pictures because they didn’t
realize that it would be that important later
3
, MAASTRICHT TREATY
• Treaty on European Union, (the Maastricht Treaty) came into force on 1 November
1993 and changed the EEC into the newly named European Union.
• Broadened the work of the supranational bodies, based around three “pillars”:
• Involvement in the domestic affairs of member nations on “justice and home affairs”
(and for that reason it only narrowly passed in France and forced a vote in the UK)
• Single European currency created (plus conditions for membership)
FURTHER ENLARGEMENTS
• In 1995 Sweden, Austria and Finland join
• ‘Schengen’ agreement gradually allows people to travel without having their
passports checked at the borders.
• 1997 Stability and Growth Pact
• In 1999 the Treaty of Amsterdam brings employment, working and living conditions
into the EU remit -> we need some level of social cooperation/coordination e.g. fair
competition, working circumstances, safety circumstances
2000s
• 1 January 1999: Introduction of the Euro
• Ten nations joined in 2004 (Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and two in 2007 (Bulgaria and
Romania).
• By this time there had been agreements to apply (quality) majority voting to more
issues, but national vetoes remained on tax, security and other issues.
LISBON TREATY
• The Convention on the Future of Europe was created in 2002 to create an EU
constitution, and the draft, signed in 2004, aimed to install a permanent EU
president, a Foreign Minister and a Charter of Rights.
• It was rejected in 2005, when France and the Netherlands failed to ratify it (and
before other EU members got the chance to vote).
• An amended work, the Lisbon Treaty, was signed in 2007 but was initially rejected,
this time by voters in Ireland. However, in 2009 Irish voters passed the treaty.
• By the winter 2009 all 27 EU states had ratified the process, and it took effect.
• Herman Van Rompuy became the first ‘President of the European Council’
What has it brought us? Next graphs from OECD How was life? See ppt
Politics matter -> democracy isn’t obvious
80 years of peace within Europe (For the most part)
And prosperity (For the most part)
4
