Embedded Files
Hello, everyone! Welcome back to the module of History of the European Union. In our last class we learnt more about the Berlin Wall and the Cold War.
Today’s class will focus on the first elections for the European Parliament and the firsts enlargements to the EEC.
As we learnt before, in 1973 three countries became new Members of the Community. This first enlargement came after some changes in EC policies as the exchange rate mechanism (ERM) that allowed EM’s currencies to fluctuate against each other within narrow limits in order to maintain monetary stability. This mechanism is considered as the first step towards the introduction of a single currency.
New Members
New Members
Noticing EC’s success, Denmark, the UK and Ireland applied to adhere to the EC. At that time, according to the Treaty of Rome, there were only two criterias for a country to become a Member State: to be located on the European continent, and to have unanimity acceptance by the Members.
This last criteria was the reason that the first UK’s attempt to join the EC was denied in 1963. France’s President Charles De Gaulle vetoed UK’s adherence to the Common Market due to his distruss on the UK’s motivations. De Gaulle perceived the UK as the “cheval de Troie des Etats-Unis” and said it was not fit to the EC’s purposes. De Gaulle vetoed again in 1967, but finally in 1969 the UK gained France’s support to join the community.
Between 7-10 June, 1979, the now called European Parliament held its first election. Previously, by the Treaty of Paris, the members of the so called Assembly were delegated by their national parliaments, although elections were also an option.
Parliament Elections
Parliament Elections
The idea to implement direct elections to the Parliament was first voted in May 1960, when the EEC Assembly voted on a draft convention prepared by a Belgian Member called Fernand Dehousse. Dehousse proposed an assembly of 426 Members, elected by direct vote and with a five-year mandate. In order to have support by the EEC Council of Ministers, the Assembly argued that the integration process would not be successful without direct participation by its citizens. The Council, however, due to the French Government reluctance, voted the draft.
Again, between 1972 and 1975, there were new drafts and reports attesting the perks of direct elections for the Parliament, like the increase of EC’s legitimacy and political authority. Leo Tindemans, Belgium Prime Minister, in his report on the European Union, in 1975, defended that direct elections to the Parliament and the strengthening of the political and institutional framework of the Community should be one of the goals for the perpetuation of the European integration.
It was only 16 years after the first proposal by the Parliament that the Council of Ministers issued the “Act concerning the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage”. This Act was heavily based on the Parliament’s 1974 draft and was less ambitious than the 1960’s draft. Despite the Council’s plan to hold elections in 1978, the first European election took place one year later, in June 1979 with a turnout of around 63%, the biggest since then. In the last decades the Parliament gained more powers and can legislate about a big set of political issues.
More democrats, bigger union
More democrats, bigger union
During the 1970’s, Europe saw its last right-wing dictatorships coming to an end. Both Greece and Portugal started their transition to democracies in 1974, and Spain one year later. In 1981, Greece became EC’s 10th member. Five years later, in 1986, Portugal and Spain joined the EC.
First enlargements
First enlargements
First enlargements.mp4To learn more about this subject:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42165383
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/fact-figures/when-did-britain-decide-to-join-the-european-union/#
http://aei.pitt.edu/942/1/political_tindemans_report.pdf
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2019/637957/EPRS_ATA(2019)637957_EN.pdf
https://www.histoire-pour-tous.fr/dossiers/1422-1er-elargissement-de-la-cee-1er-janvier-1973.html
Page updated
Report abuse