The enlarged EU and the vision of Jean Monnet for a peaceful Europe

© 2004-2005 William Charteris
www.billcharteris.com
www.imperialconsulting.net

The geopolitical boundaries of Europe have never been permanently defined. Jean Monnet once said, ‘Europe has never existed; one has genuinely to create Europe’. He and his colleagues believed fervently in full scale European union – political, economic, and military. As of 2004, the fulfillment of this vision remains an enormously successful work-in-progress which involves an enlarged EU of 25 Member States and 4 candidate countries. The European integration movement has delivered half a century of stability, peace, and prosperity by peaceful and democratic means since the Schumann declaration of May 9th 1950. It has helped to raise living standards, built a single market, launched the euro, and strengthened Europe's voice in the world and ability to compete effectively in the global economy. In recent years, it has renewed its efforts to create a unified political and security identity more in line with its commercial and economic power. Full scale military union remains to be achieved. Thus, the moral and political vision of the founding fathers of Europe of full scale European union has not and may never be achieved in the strictest sense of the word. Europe will be less divided than for generations past and remain a work-in-progress subject to the vagaries of a myriad of internal and external factors that have the potential to undermine internal cohesion and further enlargement. As long as the USA remains militarily strong and economically prosperous, NATO will be preserved and the EU will continue to enlarge and integrate by measured steps. The enlarged EU of 2004 may thus be regarded as an important step towards fulfilling the vision of Jean Monnet and his colleagues for a peaceful ‘Europe’.

This abstract is taken from a paper entitled 'Does the enlarged European Union fulfil the vision of Jean Monnet and his colleagues for a peaceful Europe?', which was published on November 1, 2004. The paper comprises 2,000 words and 13 references. Individual copies of the paper may be requested by e-mailing the author.