EUROPEAN INTEGRATION SINCE
1945 SAMENVATTING (WHY
EUROPE?)
INTRODUCTION: WHY EUROPE?
December 9, 1991: Dutch prime Minister Ruud Lubbers proposed a
package deal regarding the old and new institutions of the European Union
(EU)
Included: solution for the seat-issue
Brussels or Strasbourg for the house of the European Parliament?
At the European summit in Maastricht: major step towards a federal
Europe is about to be taken
Single currency, European citizenship, and a common foreign/security
policy
Belgian politician Wilfried Martens: A strong pro-European
Believed the Maastricht Treaty fell short by not addressing an actual
political union
He supported Lubbers as a fellow Christian Democrat
- He opposed anchoring Brussels as the EU capital, as it could
threaten Belgium’s national interests
Martens remained firm in his position, despite doubts from diplomats,
arguing that without his persistence, Brussels risked losing everything
The acceptance of the Treaty of Maastricht; on which agreement is
reached on 10
December 1991, was hard fought
Thirty years later, both supporters and critics agree that Maastricht
marked a landmark in European integration
Two years after the Summit at the maas: Jean-Luc Dehaene
(succeeding Wilfried Martens) reached an agreement (still in force
today)
- Both Brussels and Strasbourg serve as the seats of the European
Parliament
A noted paradox: a Belgian Prime Minister vigorously defends Belgium’s
national interest even while strongly advocating for greater European
integration, illustrating how self-interest in cooperation ultimately
benefits the collective
FOUNDATIONAL MOMENTS IN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
On 9 May 1950: Robert Schuman (French Foreign Minister) presented
what is now considered the birth certificate of the EU
1
, Ursula von der Leyen (current president of the European
Commission): addresses directly elected Members of the European
Parliament in an annual State of the Union
Journey of European integration: began with a national minister’s idea
to increase cooperation and culminated in a political system where the
head of the European executive interacts with representatives from 27
Member States
Three lenses to understand European Integration:
1. European treaties as the Legal Foundation
- Treaty of Paris 1952: gave birth to the European Coal and Steel
Community (ECSC)
- Successive treaties and amendments have expanded the EU’s
institutions, policymaking powers and competences
E.g.: debates over the EU’s role in public health during the
Covid Crisis
- Although Member states have transferred increasing decision-
making powers to the EU, they can sometimes choose not to join
deeper integrations
E.g.: opting out of the eurozone or Schengen zone
- These treaties remind us that the EU remains an international
organization rather than a state (despite having features like a
parliament, currency and flag)
- Treaty history:
1950: Schuman declaration
1952: Treaty of Paris = ECSS (European Coal and Steel
Community)
1957: Treaty of Rome = EEC (European Economic Community)
+ Euratom
1992: Treaty of Maastricht = EU (European Union)
2007: Lisbon Treaty = Fusion treaty/Schengen/Fiscal Compact,
…
2. Geographic expansion
- The EU has grown from six relatively similar Western European
Member States into a pan-European organization covering almost
the entire continent
- Enlargement rounds have transformed European integration into an
arena where numerous heads of state, government leaders,
ministers, diplomats, Members of the European Parliament, and
various interest groups work together
- The war in Ukraine, with significant developments since 24 February
2022, has brought enlargement back to the forefront of political
agendas
with many countries aspiring to become candidate members
- Enlargement History: dia 35-37
3. Moments of crisis for integration
- Crises have repeatedly fueled the European integration process
2
, - Policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and uniform
rules for the transport sector were implemented not because of
cultural affinities
but because Member States recognized their inability to
manage certain issues independently
- This process: sometimes described as “falling forward,”
shows how crises and shortcomings prompt Member States to
pool their sovereignty and intensify cooperation
even if the chosen solutions are occasionally suboptimal
- History of crisis: dia 38
FEMALE PARTICIPATION
The history of European integration has traditionally been driven by men,
the founding fathers, along with influential figures like Margaret
Thatcher (UK Prime Minister) and Angela Merkel (German Chancellor)
The first directly elected European Parliament appointed a woman,
Simone Veil, a French politician and Auschwitz survivor, as its
president
It wasn’t until 1989 that France and Greece nominated a female
European Commissioner
Thirty years later, the European Commission, composed of thirteen
women and fourteen men, is led by its first female president, Ursula
von der Leyen
WESTERN AND EASTERN EUROPEAN DYNAMICS
Out of the six founding countries, five are entirely located in Western
Europe.
Eastern European events, such as the Hungarian uprising in 1956, the
civil war in Yugoslavia, and the Russian annexation of Crime, have
profoundly influenced the formation of the European project
Developments since 24 February 2022 (the war in Ukraine) continue to
reverberate through European capitals and institutions.
COLONIAL LEGACY
While the founders of the EU promoted “cooperation” as essential for
peace, they were also involved in committing atrocities in their colonies
The original version of the Schuman Declaration, even though often
sanitized, explicitly stated that economic integration must contribute to
the economic development of Africa
Today, the EU maintains “special relations” with many former colonies
of its Member States
3
, CHAPTER 1: WHY IS THERE NO EUROPEAN ARMY YET?
During the third assembly of the United Nations: Paul-Henri Spaak
(Belgian prime minister and minister of foreign affairs) addresses the
delegation from Moscow with an unmistakable message
Not eager to join NATO = Nort Atlantic Treaty Organization
Not planning on taking the economic help the US offers through the
Marshall Plann
Conclusion: the contradictions between SU and US are irreconcilable
- Forced to choose sides
28 september 1948: “Saves-vous pourqoui nous avons peur? Nous
avons peur parce que vous parlez souvent d’imperialisme”
Munich Agreement and the Prelude to War
30/09/1938 The Munich Agreement: Britain and France let Nazi
Germany take the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia to avoid war, but it
didn’t stop Hitler for long
- Two fascist powers in Europe (Germany Hitler and Italy Mussolini)
met with France and the United Kingdom
- A document was signed in which peace was supposedly secured
- This was traumatic for France and the UK, as they felt betrayed: they
had taken no military action to stop Germany and Italy and their
fascist policies
- One year later, World War II began.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich,
declaring on 1/10/1938, that the agreement had secured "peace for our
time."
However, this peace was short-lived: pretend to have peace, but in the
end you have nothing (weakness)
World War II and the Soviet Union's Strategy (1939-1945):
1939: Germany invaded Poland, triggering World War II
4
1945 SAMENVATTING (WHY
EUROPE?)
INTRODUCTION: WHY EUROPE?
December 9, 1991: Dutch prime Minister Ruud Lubbers proposed a
package deal regarding the old and new institutions of the European Union
(EU)
Included: solution for the seat-issue
Brussels or Strasbourg for the house of the European Parliament?
At the European summit in Maastricht: major step towards a federal
Europe is about to be taken
Single currency, European citizenship, and a common foreign/security
policy
Belgian politician Wilfried Martens: A strong pro-European
Believed the Maastricht Treaty fell short by not addressing an actual
political union
He supported Lubbers as a fellow Christian Democrat
- He opposed anchoring Brussels as the EU capital, as it could
threaten Belgium’s national interests
Martens remained firm in his position, despite doubts from diplomats,
arguing that without his persistence, Brussels risked losing everything
The acceptance of the Treaty of Maastricht; on which agreement is
reached on 10
December 1991, was hard fought
Thirty years later, both supporters and critics agree that Maastricht
marked a landmark in European integration
Two years after the Summit at the maas: Jean-Luc Dehaene
(succeeding Wilfried Martens) reached an agreement (still in force
today)
- Both Brussels and Strasbourg serve as the seats of the European
Parliament
A noted paradox: a Belgian Prime Minister vigorously defends Belgium’s
national interest even while strongly advocating for greater European
integration, illustrating how self-interest in cooperation ultimately
benefits the collective
FOUNDATIONAL MOMENTS IN EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
On 9 May 1950: Robert Schuman (French Foreign Minister) presented
what is now considered the birth certificate of the EU
1
, Ursula von der Leyen (current president of the European
Commission): addresses directly elected Members of the European
Parliament in an annual State of the Union
Journey of European integration: began with a national minister’s idea
to increase cooperation and culminated in a political system where the
head of the European executive interacts with representatives from 27
Member States
Three lenses to understand European Integration:
1. European treaties as the Legal Foundation
- Treaty of Paris 1952: gave birth to the European Coal and Steel
Community (ECSC)
- Successive treaties and amendments have expanded the EU’s
institutions, policymaking powers and competences
E.g.: debates over the EU’s role in public health during the
Covid Crisis
- Although Member states have transferred increasing decision-
making powers to the EU, they can sometimes choose not to join
deeper integrations
E.g.: opting out of the eurozone or Schengen zone
- These treaties remind us that the EU remains an international
organization rather than a state (despite having features like a
parliament, currency and flag)
- Treaty history:
1950: Schuman declaration
1952: Treaty of Paris = ECSS (European Coal and Steel
Community)
1957: Treaty of Rome = EEC (European Economic Community)
+ Euratom
1992: Treaty of Maastricht = EU (European Union)
2007: Lisbon Treaty = Fusion treaty/Schengen/Fiscal Compact,
…
2. Geographic expansion
- The EU has grown from six relatively similar Western European
Member States into a pan-European organization covering almost
the entire continent
- Enlargement rounds have transformed European integration into an
arena where numerous heads of state, government leaders,
ministers, diplomats, Members of the European Parliament, and
various interest groups work together
- The war in Ukraine, with significant developments since 24 February
2022, has brought enlargement back to the forefront of political
agendas
with many countries aspiring to become candidate members
- Enlargement History: dia 35-37
3. Moments of crisis for integration
- Crises have repeatedly fueled the European integration process
2
, - Policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and uniform
rules for the transport sector were implemented not because of
cultural affinities
but because Member States recognized their inability to
manage certain issues independently
- This process: sometimes described as “falling forward,”
shows how crises and shortcomings prompt Member States to
pool their sovereignty and intensify cooperation
even if the chosen solutions are occasionally suboptimal
- History of crisis: dia 38
FEMALE PARTICIPATION
The history of European integration has traditionally been driven by men,
the founding fathers, along with influential figures like Margaret
Thatcher (UK Prime Minister) and Angela Merkel (German Chancellor)
The first directly elected European Parliament appointed a woman,
Simone Veil, a French politician and Auschwitz survivor, as its
president
It wasn’t until 1989 that France and Greece nominated a female
European Commissioner
Thirty years later, the European Commission, composed of thirteen
women and fourteen men, is led by its first female president, Ursula
von der Leyen
WESTERN AND EASTERN EUROPEAN DYNAMICS
Out of the six founding countries, five are entirely located in Western
Europe.
Eastern European events, such as the Hungarian uprising in 1956, the
civil war in Yugoslavia, and the Russian annexation of Crime, have
profoundly influenced the formation of the European project
Developments since 24 February 2022 (the war in Ukraine) continue to
reverberate through European capitals and institutions.
COLONIAL LEGACY
While the founders of the EU promoted “cooperation” as essential for
peace, they were also involved in committing atrocities in their colonies
The original version of the Schuman Declaration, even though often
sanitized, explicitly stated that economic integration must contribute to
the economic development of Africa
Today, the EU maintains “special relations” with many former colonies
of its Member States
3
, CHAPTER 1: WHY IS THERE NO EUROPEAN ARMY YET?
During the third assembly of the United Nations: Paul-Henri Spaak
(Belgian prime minister and minister of foreign affairs) addresses the
delegation from Moscow with an unmistakable message
Not eager to join NATO = Nort Atlantic Treaty Organization
Not planning on taking the economic help the US offers through the
Marshall Plann
Conclusion: the contradictions between SU and US are irreconcilable
- Forced to choose sides
28 september 1948: “Saves-vous pourqoui nous avons peur? Nous
avons peur parce que vous parlez souvent d’imperialisme”
Munich Agreement and the Prelude to War
30/09/1938 The Munich Agreement: Britain and France let Nazi
Germany take the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia to avoid war, but it
didn’t stop Hitler for long
- Two fascist powers in Europe (Germany Hitler and Italy Mussolini)
met with France and the United Kingdom
- A document was signed in which peace was supposedly secured
- This was traumatic for France and the UK, as they felt betrayed: they
had taken no military action to stop Germany and Italy and their
fascist policies
- One year later, World War II began.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich,
declaring on 1/10/1938, that the agreement had secured "peace for our
time."
However, this peace was short-lived: pretend to have peace, but in the
end you have nothing (weakness)
World War II and the Soviet Union's Strategy (1939-1945):
1939: Germany invaded Poland, triggering World War II
4
