Britain never wanted a United States of Europe?

It’s interesting when you look at the history of the European Union. It came about in the aftermath of some disastrous wars, and the UK was at the heart of it. But it didn’t turn out the way Winston Churchill wanted, and it is still a long way from his vision. I’ve been looking through some of his speeches to see what he proposed. There are two main speeches, one in Zurich and another in The Hague.

In Zurich he starts his proposal:

“We must build a kind of United States of Europe.

In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living.”

He then goes on to set out the way to get there.

“The first step is to form a Council of Europe.

If at first all the States of Europe are not willing or able to join the Union, we must nevertheless proceed to assemble and combine those who will and those who can.”

Some years later this concept started to be realised as a number of European greats met in The Hague.

He sets out his vision:

“The Movement for European Unity must be a positive force, deriving its strength from our sense of common spiritual values. It is a dynamic expression of democratic faith based upon moral conceptions and inspired by a sense of mission. In the centre of our movement stands the idea of a Charter of Human Rights, guarded by freedom and sustained by law. It is impossible to separate economics and defence from the general political structure. Mutual aid in the economic field and joint military defence must inevitably be accompanied step by step with a parallel policy of closer political unity. It is said with truth that this involves some sacrifice or merger of national sovereignty. But it is also possible and not less agreeable to regard it as the gradual assumption by all the nations concerned of that larger sovereignty which can alone protect their diverse and distinctive customs and characteristics and their national traditions all of which under totalitarian systems, whether Nazi, Fascist, or Communist, would certainly be blotted out for ever.”

So there we have his vision:

  • Centered on a legally binding charter of human rights;
  • Mutual economic aid (bail outs);
  • A European defence force;
  • A common political structure.

And to achieve this he recognizes the need to sacrifice some national sovereignty.

At that meeting in The Hague, chaired by Churchill, the framework for this new Europe was set out. The outcome was a call for:

  • The gradual abolition of barriers to trade
  • Working to get rid of unemployment
  • Currency exchange
  • A European Parliament
  • Mobility of the labour force
  • An agreed joint economic policy
  • Some kind of resource planning
  • Pooled sovereignty
  • A charter of Human Rights
  • A European court
  • A European Council
  • A children and youth focus

This falls short of the ideas put forward by Churchill, but most of this has been put into place in the European Union.

So there we have it – the United States of Europe concept of Winston Churchill. Something we are still short of achieving. I find it interesting that one of the main Brexit arguments was that we thought Europe was only ever about a free market – when in fact the UK proposal way back before it started was much, much more. Interesting how we can create the history that supports the future we want.

There is still some way to go to achieve the Churchill vision for Europe.

“Thus for us and for all who share our civilisation and our desire for peace and world government, there is only one duty and watchword: Persevere. That is the command which should rule us at this Congress. Persevere along all the main lines that have been made clear and imprinted upon us by the bitter experiences through which we have passed. Persevere towards those objectives which are lighted for us by all the wisdom and inspiration of the past.”

 

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