Sunday, May 08, 2005
Peace in Europe
Today is the 60th anniversary of the end of the second world war. Tomorrow, on the 9th of May, it is exactly 55 years since the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman announced his plans for a unified Europe. His foresight was incredible; his plan for Europe (which started with a super state control of steel and coal of which guns are made), is still working and has developed into what is the European Union of today.
It is important, on this anniversary of Peace in Europe, to remind ourselves of the motives of the “founding fathers” of the European Union, Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet: “No more wars to originate from European soil”.
Their insights of the mechanisms which start wars, and their recipe to prevent them, has led to a non-war Europe for 60 years. Those of us who are reaching sixty years of age belong, in fact, to the first generation to live a peaceful life without a war in Europe. For which we are Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet very grateful.
What was the core of their insight? Did Bavaria or Slesvig-Holstein start wars? No, it has always been the central government in Berlin doing that. Did Scotland or Wales start wars? No, it has always been the central government of the UK. Did Bretagne or Normandy start wars? No, it has always been the central government of France. Wherever you look in the world you find that it is the central governments who are demonstrating their inability to get along with their neighbours. With almost frightening regularity the central state governments have been, and still are, producing despotic leaderships who have made life miserable for ordinary people.
So, the recipe, according to Schuman and Monnet, is to phase out the central states’ previous "sovereignty" (in another word to do what they please) and share the power between two other levels of authority. One up: to the European Union and one down: to the Regions of Europe. This is the main thread and the connecting thought one can perceive right through the various EU treaties from Rome to Nice. It is the basic idea behind the new treaty that the European central states presently are in agony about (nobody likes loosing power for any reason!).
To phase out the central states, with their violent pasts, in favour of a common Europe and stronger European regions is behind the phrase “The European Union is a Peace Project”. It is my humble opinion that those who object to the new European constitution, knowingly or not, favour future wars and other conflicts on European soil.
For those who think that new violent conflicts in Europe are unthinkable. Think again. It only takes a certain charismatic party leader (for instance: in France), an engaging subject (for instance: immigrants and refugees) and a propaganda friendly mass media (for instance: a major state television station) and the polished boots will again be marching in Europe.
Today is the anniversary of the end of the Second Word War and tomorrow is the anniversary of Schuman’s plan to stop future warmongers in Europe.
It is important, on this anniversary of Peace in Europe, to remind ourselves of the motives of the “founding fathers” of the European Union, Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet: “No more wars to originate from European soil”.
Their insights of the mechanisms which start wars, and their recipe to prevent them, has led to a non-war Europe for 60 years. Those of us who are reaching sixty years of age belong, in fact, to the first generation to live a peaceful life without a war in Europe. For which we are Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet very grateful.
What was the core of their insight? Did Bavaria or Slesvig-Holstein start wars? No, it has always been the central government in Berlin doing that. Did Scotland or Wales start wars? No, it has always been the central government of the UK. Did Bretagne or Normandy start wars? No, it has always been the central government of France. Wherever you look in the world you find that it is the central governments who are demonstrating their inability to get along with their neighbours. With almost frightening regularity the central state governments have been, and still are, producing despotic leaderships who have made life miserable for ordinary people.
So, the recipe, according to Schuman and Monnet, is to phase out the central states’ previous "sovereignty" (in another word to do what they please) and share the power between two other levels of authority. One up: to the European Union and one down: to the Regions of Europe. This is the main thread and the connecting thought one can perceive right through the various EU treaties from Rome to Nice. It is the basic idea behind the new treaty that the European central states presently are in agony about (nobody likes loosing power for any reason!).
To phase out the central states, with their violent pasts, in favour of a common Europe and stronger European regions is behind the phrase “The European Union is a Peace Project”. It is my humble opinion that those who object to the new European constitution, knowingly or not, favour future wars and other conflicts on European soil.
For those who think that new violent conflicts in Europe are unthinkable. Think again. It only takes a certain charismatic party leader (for instance: in France), an engaging subject (for instance: immigrants and refugees) and a propaganda friendly mass media (for instance: a major state television station) and the polished boots will again be marching in Europe.
Today is the anniversary of the end of the Second Word War and tomorrow is the anniversary of Schuman’s plan to stop future warmongers in Europe.
