The history of the European Union

EU Pioneers
The following visionary leaders inspired the creation of the European Union we live in
today. Without their energy and motivation, we would not be living in the sphere of
peace and stability that we take for granted.
From resistance fighters to lawyers and parliamentarians, the EU pioneers were a
diverse group of people who held the same ideals: a peaceful, united and prosperous
Europe.
Beyond the pioneers described below, many others have worked tirelessly towards
and inspired the European project. This section on the EU’s pioneers is therefore a
work in progress.

Konrad Adenauer | Joseph Bech | Johan Willem Beyen | Winston Churchill | Nicole
Fontaine | Alcide De Gasperi | Walter Hallstein | Ursula Hirschmann | Nilde Iotti | Marga
Klompé | Anna Lindh | Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand | Sicco Mansholt | Melina
Mercouri | Jean Monnet | Robert Schuman | Paul-Henri Spaak | Altiero
Spinelli | Simone Veil | Louise Weiss

Konrad Adenauer
a pragmatic democrat and tireless unifier
The first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, who stood at the head of the
newly-formed state from 1949-63, changed the face of post-war German and
European history more than any other individual.
A cornerstone of Adenauer's foreign policy was reconciliation with France. Together
with French President Charles de Gaulle a historic turning point was achieved: in 1963
the one-time arch-enemies Germany and France signed a treaty of friendship, which
became one of the milestones on the road to European integration.

Winston Churchill
calling for a United States of Europe
Winston Churchill, a former army officer, war reporter and British Prime Minister (1940-
45 and 1951-55), was one of the first to call for the creation of a 'United States of
Europe'. Following the Second World War, he was convinced that only a united Europe
could guarantee peace. His aim was to eliminate the European ills of nationalism and
war-mongering once and for all.

Alcide De Gasperi
an inspired mediator for democracy and freedom in Europe
From 1945 to 1953, in his roles as Italian Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister,
Alcide De Gasperi forged the path of the country’s destiny in the post-war years.
Time and time again he promoted initiatives aimed at the fusion of Western Europe,
working on the realisation of the Marshall Plan and creating close economic ties with
other European countries, in particular France.
He was born in the region of Trentino-Alto Adige (South Tyrol) which, until 1918, belonged
to Austria. Along with other exceptional statesmen of his time, he campaigned actively for
European unity. His experiences of fascism and war — he was imprisoned betw een 1927
and 1929 before finding asylum in the Vatican — led to his conviction that only the union of
Europe could prevent their recurrence.
Furthermore, he supported the Schuman Plan for the foundation of the European Coal and
Steel Community, and helped develop the idea of the common European defence policy.

Nilde Iotti
Advocate of universal suffrage and founding mother of the Italian Republic
Leonilde 'Nilde' Iotti was a resistance fighter during the Second World War, and became
one of post-war Italy's most important female politicians. Considered by many as a
founding mother of the Italian Republic and perhaps ‘the best president Italy never had’,
Iotti was a member of the committee that drafted the core of the country's new constitution
in 1946. Two years later, she joined the Chamber of Deputies, eventually becoming its
longest serving president. A committed European, Iotti became a member of the European
Parliament in 1969, serving until 1979, and was elected vice president of the Council of Europe in
1997.

Helmut Kohl and François Mitterrand

leaders in reconciliation
Helmut Kohl was the second of only three people to have received an Honorary
Citizenship of Europe from the European Council, in recognition of his extraordinary
work on European integration and cooperation, such was his contribution to the
European project.
While President, Mitterrand supported European enlargement by encouraging Spain
and Portugal’s accession to the EU. He also believed in a more integrated EU and
championed the passing of the Single European Act in 1986, which laid the first legal
foundations for a European single market. Together, Kohl and Mitterrand completed
this goal with the passing of the Maastricht Treaty six years later, making their dream
of a seamless(fluido,uniforme) transnational market a reality.

Melina Mercouri
actor, politician and champion of culture
The Greek actor and politician Melina Mercouri brought a fire and passion to
everything she did; from gracing stage and screen in the early part of her life, to
fighting the fascist junta that took control of Greece in 1967 and campaigning for the
protection and promotion of culture as a politician.

Jean Monnet
the unifying force behind the birth of the European Union
The French political and economic adviser Jean Monnet dedicated himself to the
cause of European integration. He was the inspiration behind the 'Schuman Plan',
which foresaw the merger of west European heavy industry.
Monnet was from the Cognac region of France. When he left school at 16 he travelled
internationally as a cognac dealer, later also as a banker. During both world wars he
held high-level positions relating to the coordination of industrial production in France
and the United Kingdom.

Robert Schuman
the architect of the European integration project
The statesman Robert Schuman, a qualified lawyer and French foreign minister
between 1948 and 1952, is regarded as one of the founding fathers of European unity.
In cooperation with Jean Monnet he drew up(redasse) the internationally renowned
(famoso) Schuman Plan, which he published on 9 May 1950, the date now regarded
as the birth of the European Union. He proposed joint control of coal and steel
production, the most important materials for the armaments industry. The basic idea
was that whoever did not have control over coal and steel production would not be able
to fight a war.

Altiero Spinelli
an unrelenting(accanito, instancabile) federalist
The Italian politician Altiero Spinelli was one of the fathers of the European Union. He
was the leading figure behind the European Parliament's proposal for a Treaty on a
federal European Union - the so-called 'Spinelli Plan'. This was adopted in 1984 by an
overwhelming( schiacciante) majority in the ParlNicole Fontaineiament and provided
an important inspiration for the strengthening of the EU Treaties in the 1980s and '90s.
As a 17-year old, Spinelli joined the Communist Party, as a consequence of which he was imprisoned by the
Italian fascist regime between 1927 and 1943. At the end of the Second World War, he established the
Federalist Movement in Italy. In his role as advisor to personalities such as De Gasperi,
Spaak and Monnet, he worked for European unification. A trained juro , he also furthered the European
cause in the academic field, and created the Institute or International Affairs in Rome As a member of the
European Commission he took over the area of internal policy from 1970 to 1976. For three years he served
as a Member of the Italian Parliament for the Communist Party before being elected to the European
Parliament in 1979.
Simone Veil
Holocaust survivor and first female President of the European Parliament
Lawyer, politician and feminist, Simone Veil served as France’s Health Minister
between 1974 and 1979. In that year she became a Member of the European
Parliament and was elected its President, remaining in the role until 1982. This made
her the President of the first directly elected Parliament and the first female President.
Veil is recognised in France in particular for the legalisation of abortion and for improving the lives
of women and the conditions of prisoners. She is also known across Europe for honouring
and preserving the memory of Jewish people killed in the Holocaust during the Second
World War, and for her commitment to European values and unity. She is admired for both
her political and personal courage, having survived the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration
camp. Veil’s childhood and traumatic experiences during the Second World War sowed
the seeds of a commitment to a unified Europe, a cause she would champion for the rest
of her life.