Our Cracow Our Copenhagen

   
        Danielle MacFarlane looks back at the unlikely birth of the European Union

Today twenty-five countries belong to the European Union. More than 450 million Europeans have the right to live in, work in or travel to other EU countries. Millions of people enjoy friendly contact with their neighbours across borders. Governments across Europe pass the same laws about employment, food, transport, health and the environment. The EU is also the largest free market in the world. A typical European supermarket is full of fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese and meat which come from all over Europe. Twelve countries even the same currency, the euro. In fact, the European Union has a very big influence over our lives, but most of us don't even notice it.

But if we look at Europe just three generations ago, we start to understand tge story of the EU is even more surprising.
        In 1945, Europe had just experienced the most terrible war in history. Many historians believe that at least forty million people were killed, although such numbers are very hard to calculate. At the end of the war millions were homeless and much of Europe was in ruins. In fact, famine was a bigger problem in 1947 than it was during the war years. Worst of all many countries still didn't trust each other. It is perhaps a surprise to learn that the first politician to suggest 'a United Europe' after the war was Winston Churchill, the british prime minister during the war years. In september 1946, during a meeting in switzerland, he said that Europeans should come together to create a 'United States of Europe'

        However, most people, especially in Britain, thought that Churchill's ideas were shocking or even absurd. Eight months later a huge conference was organised in the Netherlands. Eight hundred important European academics and politicians were invited. Perhaps the most powerful speech was made by Salvador de Madariaga, a Spanish politician and writer: This Europe must be born. And she will, when Spaniards say 'our Chartres', Englishmen say 'our Cracow', Italians ''our Copenhagen' and Germans 'our Bruges'. Then Europe will live.

But when de Madariaga spoke these words in 1947, it was already too late. Despite the fine words and emotional speeches, the Netherlands conference couldn't save Europe - it was already divided in two. But the idea of 'a United Europe' didn't die completely. A French politician, Robert Schuman, believed that the only way that France and Germany could become good neighbours again was by cooperating economically. In 1951, six countries agreed to regulate trade,prices and production of coal and streel.
       The experiment was a success, and in 1957, the six countries signed the Treaty of Rome and created the European Economic Community (in 1933, the EEC changed its name to the European Union.) Nine more countries joined the organisation between 1973 and 1992 and another ten countries became members in 2004. Perhaps De Madariaga's dream will come true one day after all.