Jean Monnet, born in Cognac on 9 November 1888, played an important role in the early stages of European Integration. The 1950’s experienced increasing international tensions. Monnet felt it was time to unite the European countries. In Houjarray, he brought about the idea of the European Community. On 9 May 1950, a declaration was made in the name of the French government. It was prepared by Monnet and this declaration proposed placing all the Franco-German production of steel and coal under a common High Authority open to the other countries of Europe. Thus the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was born, laying the foundation of the European Community. In 1952, Jean Monnet became the first President of the High Authority.
Robert Schuman was elected as Prime Minister in 1947 as a member of the Mouvement Républicain Populaire (MRP), and held the post of Foreign Minister from 1948 until 1953. It was during this time that he presented the proposal, which was to lay the foundations for a European Union. Following collaboration with Monnet he put forward the declaration stated above, which was established in 1951 and became know as the Schuman plan. As Europe came closer to integration, two more organisations were established. These two were the European Atomic Energy Community and the European Economic Community. He was elected first president when a Joint Assembly was formed in 1958 and which later became the European Parliament. His role in creating the European Union is commemorated yearly on 9 May.
In 1949 Konrad Adenauer became chairman of the party in West Germany; and in the first general elections under the new regime, his party and its ally, the Christian Social Union (CSU), together won 139 of the 402 seats in the Bundestag (Federal Parliament). In 1949, he was appointed as chancellor. He was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Important events took place in West Germany when Adenauer was in power. These included, the membership of Council of Europe, founder member of the ECSC, after the failure of EDC, West Germany was recognised as a sovereign state and was admitted to the NATO. Finally, in 1957, Germany was one of the founder members of the EEC.
Alcide de Gasperi was Prime Minister of Italy from 1945- 1953. He met often with Schuman and Adenauer setting up the conditions of ulterior advancements in the European integration. Active in the resistance during World War II, he succeeded in reorganising the Italian Popular Party as the Christian Democratic Party (CDP). He became secretary of the CDP. In foreign affairs he fought to restore an influential role in international politics for Italy. Seeking closer ties with the West, Italy entered the NATO in 1951. A leading proponent of the formation of a federation of democratic European states, he helped organise the Council of Europe and the European Coal and Steel Community.
Finally we see the effects of Paul- Henri Spaak on European Integration. He was a Belgian statesman and Socialist leader. Spaak gained international stature as first president of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1946, chairman of the Council for European Recovery (1948-49), and secretary-general of NATO (1957-61). He strove for the political and economic unification of Western Europe, and helped in the creation of the organisations that have since become the European Union. In 1950 he was elected as president of the Council of Europe.
It is clear to see that each one of these people have played an important role in the process of European Integration. Without each one of these individual inputs the system may not be where it is today! The process of European integration will also continue because many countries in central and eastern Europe will wish to join the EU. The accession of these countries can only take place in stages. The introduction of the euro is the last stage, which must not be forced. First, these countries must integrate their economies solidly into the EU. Then participation in the new exchange rate mechanism can follow. Ultimately, the euro can be introduced. The prospective entrants will have to meet the same requirements as the countries which will introduce the euro at the start of next year. That will take considerable time - time which must also be used to consider any changes in the working methods of the ESCB if that is to consist of between 20 and 30 national central banks. There are issues here which may be even more difficult than the decision that concerned which countries would participate on the first of January 1999.
European integration must be judged fairly. We must be aware of friction among state members and failures that occur sometimes. However its participants have already seen peace for 50 years and much has been achieved in this economic field.
