The Europeans and especially their leaders are behaving like a blind man in a coal cellar. They have lost their way and lost their vision.
What is the most important of the documents signed by the Founding Fathers of Europe? Even if people knew what it was, they would be hard pressed to find a copy. Europa.eu of course will not show you a copy. You won't find it in any of the Commission's publications. Forget about the secretive Council or the passive EcoSoc!
What I am talking about is the Declaration made by the Founding Fathers that defined their vision of a democratic Europe and of their future. That is especially relevant now, in our time and for our future. But where is the document? Why do the so-called European institutions not have a copy on show somewhere or at least accessible in the public archives. Even if they violently disagree with it, why do they deny its existence??
The Document I am referring to is called the Europe Declaration. It was signed by all the leaders of the Six founder States. Schuman of France, Adenauer of Germany, Count Sforza of Italy, Bech of Luxembourg, van Zeeland of Belgium and Stikker of The Netherlands and a few others for good measure. All signed the founding treaty of the European Union on 18 April 1951. On that same day they signed another document right after the signature of the Treaty of Paris. It described the principles of European democracy. It is called the Europe Declaration because it gives a lucid vision of the future.
Do you ever get the impression that you are living in Stalin's Soviet Union? Maybe Dr Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda UeberBoss, has been working in the basement of the Commission's Berlaymont building for the last few decades. The vital truth of one day, its most important information for all citizens, is buried and censored as if it never existed. We are given ersatz 'information', crafty distortions, PR paid for from EU funds. Instead of the obligations to reduce the membership of the Commission, the politicians provide jobs for political chums, one per majority party in each State, and scores of new but unnecessary jobs for the political cartel. The new political leaders want to play their own game and a bit of truth is most inconvenient. The Declaration also reminds governments of their duties towards their citizens -- as servants. A Europe following the vision of the Founding Fathers would be leaner and all Europeans would be better off, in many ways.
The reason, of course that the leaders -- the political cartel today and the Gaullists of yesteryear -- do not want you to know about this Declaration is that it gives an idea about how we should be running the show democratically today. It uses the words, politicians do not like and cannot explain. That is SUPRANATIONAL DEMOCRACY. It speaks about nations where the citizens are free to choose. And many other uncomfartable truths.
We now have a lame camel of a treaty -- the Lisbon Treaty -- a horse designed by a committee and decided without democratic assent -- instead of the thoroughbred race horse we could have had.
As a public duty I present the full version of the Europe Declaration. It is as important a document as America's Declaration of Independence. This we can call the Europe Declaration of INTER-DEPENDENCE. Not something to appeal to Charles de Gaulle. However today we are living on a planet that is perishing. If we do not recognize our interdependence it will not just be sad, it could well be the end of our species. Other species are dying out fast, due to man's egotism. The principles of inter-dependence and how we can manage the planet democratically are of vital importance, not only for Europeans, but all earthlings on this blue planet, the only speck of hope in all the black, hostile reaches of space.
Europe Declaration
18 April 1951
The following declaration was made and signed on same day as Europe's founding Treaty of Paris, creating the European Coal and Steel Community. It affirms that Europe must be built on supranational democratic principles. That is true then. It is true now.
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Royal Highness the Prince Royal of Belgium, the President of the French Republic, the President of the Italian Republic, Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Her Majesty, the Queen of The Netherlands,
Considering that world peace can only be safeguarded by creative efforts commensurate with the dangers threatening it;
Convinced that the contribution that an organized and invigorated Europe can bring to civilization is indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations;
Conscious that Europe will not be constructed except by concrete achievements establishing first of all the reality of partnership, and by the establishment of common bases for economic development;
Anxious to cooperate through the expansion of their basic products in raising the standard of living and progressing in works of peace;
Resolved to transform their age-long rivalry through the consolidation of their essential interests, and, by the inauguration of an economic Community, to assemble the initial basis for a broader and deeper Community of peoples who had for centuries been opposed in bloody conflicts, and to set the foundations of institutions capable of providing a direction to a destiny that is henceforward shared,
Have decided to create a European Coal and Steel.Community
This work that has just been confirmed by our signature, we owe to the wisdom of our delegations and to the perseverance of our experts. We are deeply grateful to them.
Even before the work was set in motion, the very idea that was its inspiration had already aroused in our countries and beyond its borders an extraordinary surge of hope and confidence.
In signing the treaty founding the European Community for Coal and Steel Community, a community of 160 million Europeans, the contracting parties give proof of their determination to call the first supranational institution into life, and consequently create the true foundation for an organized Europe.
This Europe is open to all European nations that can decide freely for themselves. We sincerely hope that other countries will join in our common endeavour.
In full awareness of the need to reveal the significance of this first step by sustained action in other sectors, we have the hope and the will in the same spirit that presided in the elaboration of this Treaty, to bring the current projects now in preparation to a successful conclusion. The work will be pursued in conjunction with the existing European bodies.
These initiatives, each with their particular objective, should rapidly take their place within the framework of a European Political Community, the concept of which is being elaborated in the Council of Europe. This should result in the coordination and simplification of the European institutions as a whole.
All these efforts will be guided by the growing conviction that the countries of free Europe are inter-dependent and that they share a common destiny. We will strengthen this sentiment by combining our energies and our determination, and bringing our work into harmony through frequent consultations and building ever-increasing trust through our contacts.
Herein lies the significance of this day. We have no doubt its importance will be understood by the public opinion of our countries and by our parliaments, who are called to decide on its ratification. The governments that are represented here together will act as interpreters of our common will to build a peaceful and prosperous Europe. And we will serve it together.
The declaration was signed by Konrad Adenauer (West Germany), Paul van Zeeland, Joseph Meurice (Belgium), Robert Schuman (France), Count Sforza (Italy) Joseph Bech (Luxembourg), Dirk Stikker and J. R. M. van den Brink (The Netherlands).
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Congratulations. Well done!
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