Europe Day

One might be forgiven for thinking that the founding of The European Union is not exactly the stu that myths are made of? Not at all, for here it comes – though it is not a myth, but a real story that only sounds like a myth: The 9th of May 1950 was the day when the destiny of European integration (began to take) took shape, with the declaration by the French foreign Minister Robert Schuman, aiming at the creation of a European Coal and Steel Community. One can retrace the events of these historical moments day by day, sometimes hour by hour, the main actors emerging with highly animated proles, the tension mounting to thrilling heights – but nally the solution is found! And this solution is, as much as it seems pragmatic, nothing less than revolutionary: It is – to use the words of the French foreign minister himself! – the rst “breach into national sovereignty”. The political system of the EU can be traced directly back to this initial moment. Once the story of the 9th of May 1950 is told, one can contemplate it from dierent angles and learn a lot: What about the relationship between the external pressure of the Allies on France, in order to prepare for a common defense line of the Western bloc – and the intra-European, Franco-German desire to overcome their old conicts and reach a fair tradeo of interests? What about the relationship between economics and politics – was and is European integration mainly an economic project or does it ultimately aim at a political union? And maybe the most dicult question: Would others have taken dierent decisions from those of Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman and Konrad Adenauer? Could they have? And if it was their own free will to decide as they did, what led them to do so? This book tells the story of the 9th of May, and the days leading up to it – and reects on the signicance of this historical moment, our “Europe Day”.