This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/25/eu-european-union-political-union-in-out-eec
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Comment: Doubts about European political union - archive | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The setback which the Six suffered last week in their attempt to build a European Political Union could, in the long run, be all to the good. But it is unfortunate that it arose over the question of Britain’s participation in the discussions of the Six about the form their political union should take. | The setback which the Six suffered last week in their attempt to build a European Political Union could, in the long run, be all to the good. But it is unfortunate that it arose over the question of Britain’s participation in the discussions of the Six about the form their political union should take. |
| That this was so was not entirely Britain’s fault. But it may well appear to have been so in Paris, where the negative attitude of successive British Governments to questions of European unity has created a deep-rooted and almost automatic suspicion of British statements and actions in respect to such questions. | That this was so was not entirely Britain’s fault. But it may well appear to have been so in Paris, where the negative attitude of successive British Governments to questions of European unity has created a deep-rooted and almost automatic suspicion of British statements and actions in respect to such questions. |
| There is clearly much to be said for the British Government’s desire to have some share in shaping the political union of which she would wish to be a member once she had joined the European Economic Community. But equally I think one has to respect at least the logic of the French view that the rules and objectives of a club can only be drafted by its existing members; that if Britain were invited to take part in this work it would be difficult to refuse similar invitations to Denmark, Norway and Ireland, which, like Britain, are also seeking full membership of EEC. | There is clearly much to be said for the British Government’s desire to have some share in shaping the political union of which she would wish to be a member once she had joined the European Economic Community. But equally I think one has to respect at least the logic of the French view that the rules and objectives of a club can only be drafted by its existing members; that if Britain were invited to take part in this work it would be difficult to refuse similar invitations to Denmark, Norway and Ireland, which, like Britain, are also seeking full membership of EEC. |
| But the conflict that has arisen is not the result of a difference between the Six and the States which have applied for membership of the EEC. | But the conflict that has arisen is not the result of a difference between the Six and the States which have applied for membership of the EEC. |
| It has arisen within the ranks of the Six themselves. And one of the main causes of this internal dispute is the differing views of the Six about the form that their political union should take. President de Gaulle is strongly opposed to a federalist union. What he looks forward to is a union of fully sovereign States - a Europe des Patries - under French or Franco-German leadership. | It has arisen within the ranks of the Six themselves. And one of the main causes of this internal dispute is the differing views of the Six about the form that their political union should take. President de Gaulle is strongly opposed to a federalist union. What he looks forward to is a union of fully sovereign States - a Europe des Patries - under French or Franco-German leadership. |
| He would like to strengthen the governmental control over the separate communities and bring them together under the political umbrella of a Council of Ministers in which each member Government would enjoy the right of veto. At recent meetings which the Italian Prime Minister, Signor Fanfani, had with President de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer it seemed that the German and Italian Governments had been brought some way towards accepting the French thesis. But Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg have remained not only unconvinced but determined to fight for their own strong preference for a federalist form of European political union in which an international civil service would exercise real powers on a developing supranational basis. | He would like to strengthen the governmental control over the separate communities and bring them together under the political umbrella of a Council of Ministers in which each member Government would enjoy the right of veto. At recent meetings which the Italian Prime Minister, Signor Fanfani, had with President de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer it seemed that the German and Italian Governments had been brought some way towards accepting the French thesis. But Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg have remained not only unconvinced but determined to fight for their own strong preference for a federalist form of European political union in which an international civil service would exercise real powers on a developing supranational basis. |
| They have taken the position that only if Britain were to enter the political union and act, so they would hope, as a counterweight to France and Germany, would they be prepared to forgo, at least to begin with, their federalist aspirations for Europe. They are also aware that Britain’s entry into the European Community would be made more difficult if she were faced with a fait accompli in respect to its political institutions and direction. | They have taken the position that only if Britain were to enter the political union and act, so they would hope, as a counterweight to France and Germany, would they be prepared to forgo, at least to begin with, their federalist aspirations for Europe. They are also aware that Britain’s entry into the European Community would be made more difficult if she were faced with a fait accompli in respect to its political institutions and direction. |
| They are determined, therefore, that the final shape of their political union should not be decided until Britain is in a position to take part in their discussions. The pressure for immediate British participation in the political discussions of the Six has, therefore, come fairly moderately from Britain herself and more strongly from the three smaller members of the European Community. | They are determined, therefore, that the final shape of their political union should not be decided until Britain is in a position to take part in their discussions. The pressure for immediate British participation in the political discussions of the Six has, therefore, come fairly moderately from Britain herself and more strongly from the three smaller members of the European Community. |
| There is a certain bewildering aspect to this situation. In no country in Europe is there more deep-rooted opposition to the concept of a federal Europe, constructed on supranational institutions, than in Britain. This attitude permeates both of our main political parties and the great majority of the population. It will not easily be changed. But in each of the six Continental countries the majority of the political parties and of the thinking population are adherents of a federalist concept. They have been so ever since the early postwar years when the scope and form of the Council of Europe at Strasbourg were being debated. | There is a certain bewildering aspect to this situation. In no country in Europe is there more deep-rooted opposition to the concept of a federal Europe, constructed on supranational institutions, than in Britain. This attitude permeates both of our main political parties and the great majority of the population. It will not easily be changed. But in each of the six Continental countries the majority of the political parties and of the thinking population are adherents of a federalist concept. They have been so ever since the early postwar years when the scope and form of the Council of Europe at Strasbourg were being debated. |
| This is an edited extract. Read in full here. | This is an edited extract. Read in full here. |