United States of Europe - Future or a Past Idea? (1)

The ‘United States of Europe’ is definitely not a new idea. The name ‘United States’ starts the comparison between the United States of America, but other names describe this scenario as well such as

• the Federal States of Europe (FSE), 
• the European State, 
• the European Superstate, 
• the European Federation 
• and Federal Europe.

But to call it almost the same illustrates the idea and makes it clearer to understand the concept behind but it also leads to direct comparison. 

The idea of a unified Europe has always been floating around. Let’s have a little look back into the Past and to important people forming this history.

Jean Monnet - 

He was a french political and economic adviser and he dedicated himself to the cause of European integration. Moreover, he was the inspiration behind the Schuman Plan.

In 1943 as a member of the French Committee of National Liberation he declared during a meeting:

“There will be no peace in Europe, if the states are reconstituted on the basis of national sovereignty... The countries of Europe are too small to guarantee their peoples the necessary prosperity and social development. The European states must constitute themselves into a federation...” 

Monnet was one of the firsts to clearly state that Europe should transform itself into a Federation. His vision of Europe was a united Europe. The aim was to build a union to provide peace. After his implementation of the idea, he wanted the actions to take place more quickly. He and his team began to work on a concept of a European community. This laid the basis for the Schuman declaration, which was introduced on the 9th of May 1950. 

All in all, he played an enormous role in the creation of the European Union. Monnet’s idea was advanced for his time, but he could adapt it. Calling for a United Europe as a Federation in 1943 and developing it into a united community, laying the basis for the EU.

Winston Churchill –

A former army officer, war reporter and British Prime Minister. His aim was to reduce nationalism in Europe and provide a future in peace. 

Churchill was the one to call for the creation of a ‘United States of Europe’, clearly showing the comparison to the United States of America by using the similar name. After the Second World War, he was convinced that only a united Europe could guarantee peace.

He formulated his conclusions drawn from the lessons of history in his famous ‘Speech to the academic youth’ held at the University of Zurich in 1946: 

“There is a remedy which ... would in a few years make all Europe ... free and ... happy. It is to re-create the European family, or as much of it as we can, and to provide it with a structure under which it can dwell in peace, in safety and in freedom. We must build a kind of United States of Europe.”

Both men were advanced and led into a direction of an even more connected Europe than we have it today with the European Union. Is it the next step, will we transform into a United States of Europe?

Bibliography

1. ‘United States of Europe - To be or not to be?’ - giveavote.eu [online] Available at: <https://www.giveavote.eu/updates/united-states-of-europe-to-be-or-not-to-be> [Accessed 8 July 2021]
2.  EU Pioneers - europa.eu [online] Available at: <https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/history/eu-pioneers_en#jean_monne> [Accessed 8 July 2021]