This paper proposes to study
Europe as a project designed
at the start of the European
construction in 1950, and
its current implementation.
It focuses on Europe as a
political project, and outlines
the strengths or weaknesses
of an integration that has
turned out to be essentially
economic. The European path
has, however, extended well
beyond economic operations
which the early European
Economic Community (EEC)
and the European Community
(EC) featured, and
continued until the current
European Union. From the
start phrases like these traced
its destiny: “We must build
a kind of United States of
Europe”. These words of
Winston Churchill are still
echoed by Europeans, while
political Europe finds itself
at a cross-road. Some dare to
propose a Federalist future
for Europe, but history has
proven right those who have
prudently chosen to follow
in the footsteps of Robert
Schuman and to listen to his
words: “L’Europe ne se fera
pas d’un coup, ni dans une
construction d’ensemble”.
Europe is on the move, albeit
slowly and very far from the target that some dreamt of, of a United States of Europe. Is Europe the unidentified political object which was announced and mirrored by Jacques Delors?
Author
Baltazar, Isabel
Keywords
Europe,
Identité européenne,
Idée d’Europe,
Construction européenne,
Projet européen,
Europa,
Identidade Europeia,
Ideia de Europa,
Construção Europeia,
Projecto Europeu,
European identity,
Idea of Europe,
European construction,
European project
