"Qui aurait pu penser, il y a encore deux ans, que les douze pays membres se mettraient d’accord sur deux
perspectives aussi ambitieuses que celles que représentent l’Union économique et monétaire d’une part, et l’Union politique d’autre part?"

Jacques Delors 🇪🇺

#EUhistory

PS: I LOVE propaganda posters back in those days

Bonus track, cartoons about the European Defence Community back in those days.

And yes, sometimes the EU advances by changing route, not destination.

More about the European Defence Community in this piece I wrote on @ecmemes.bsky.social site www.dg-meme.eu/meme/2023/05...

Jean Monnet resigned, with this letter, from the High Authority (predecesor of the European Commission) and looked ahead.

In his farewell speech he left a line for the ages: "What we started will continue: the United States of Europe"

The dream didn't die, it changed path

The aftermath reset the board: West Germany entered NATO in 1955; Western European Union became a weaker substitute; integration shifted back to economics and later, foreign policy coordination.

Historians highlights many reasons for the rejection: concerns about a conflict faded with death of Stalin, fears of loosing national sovereignty, West Germany's remilitarization, French Communists opposed a plan tying France to the capitalist US, the absence of UK...

Then, 30 August 1954 arrived.

After days of heated debate, the Assembly voted 319–264 to shelve ratification.

The European Defence Community (first real attempt at a European Army) was over.

By 1952 the Treaty was signed in Paris by the Six: France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

One by one, parliaments moved… until France hesitated.

René Pleven took it to the French National Assembly.

A European Army with a common budget, shared procurement & institutions.

"Confident as it is that Europe’s destiny lies in peace, French Government proposes (…) the creation, for the purpose of common defence, of a 🇪🇺 army"

🪖 In the summer of 1950, riding the momentum of the Schuman Plan, Jean Monnet argues for organising Europe’s defence on a supranational basis.

He put on the table the benefits of a common Army, following USA petition to the allies to plan for the re-armament of West Germany.

Full speech youtu.be/YMMEtxEMIN0?...

And transcript in English here www.meetingrimini.org/en/turn-skep...

"The European Union is above all a mechanism to achieve the goals shared by its citizens. It is our best chance for a future of peace, security, and independence.

It is a democracy and it is us, you, its citizens, the Europeans, who decide its priorities"

Mario Draghi,
August 2025

"It's natural that you should hope for Europe’s renewal.

We must recover unity of action. Not when circumstances have become unsustainable, but now, when we still have power to shape our future

We can change the trajectory of our continent.Turn your skepticism into action, make your voices heard"

Video footage by EC AV Library.

To apply: traineeships.ec.europa.eu/index_en

More here www.linkedin.com/posts/pablop...

👑 Alumni include royalty and leaders. From King Felipe VI of Spain, King Mohammed VI of Morocco or Prince Hassan of Jordan to Mario Monti, Dacian Cioloș, Viviane Reding, Christine Ockrent, Odile Quintin, and others...(none of them in the video)

📊 There are 2 sessions and it selects around 600 trainees per session from thousands of applicants.

🇮🇹🇫🇷🇪🇸 Italy, France, and Spain are the EU countries with the highest number of candidates in the past five years.

And women outnumbered male in nearly every intake.

📘 It’s called “Blue Book” because the list of pre-selected candidates was literally printed and bound in a blue-covered booklet.

👥 The programme began 65 years ago, in 1960, with just 3 trainees in the inaugural session.