René Courtin

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René Courtin (born July 27, 1900 in Paris - † May 6, 1964 ) was a French politician . He was a pioneer or one of the founding fathers of the European Union .

European movement

During the Second World War he joined the Christian Democratic milieu of Annecy and sat down in November 1940 with Pierre-Henri Teitgen , René Capitant , François de Menthon and Paul Coste-Floret to found the first resistance movement " Liberté ", which later joined Henri Frenays resistance group " Mouvement de Liberation nationale " was absorbed into the joint resistance group Combat . As a staunch European, René Courtin campaigned very strongly in France for a united Europe, which later became a reality through the “ European Movement ”. On June 1, 1947, René Courtin and his friends, Pierre-Henri Teitgen, Denis de Rougemont and André Siegfried , founded the “Council for a European Movement” ( Conseil francais pour l'Europe unie ), which in the same year met with the British European movement united as its French section. In 1953 the Conseil francais pour l´Europe unie merged as a French section with the British European movement . In the same year 1947, René Courtin founded the European Christian association: Nouvelles Equipes Internationales (NEI) with like-minded people like Paul Reynaud , Paul Ramadier , Pierre-Henri Teitgen, Denis de Rougemont, Henri Lauga , Konrad Adenauer and André Siegfried .

In her opinion, it was "time to prove to Europe that there is not just the American and Russian systems and to finally propose a viable balance between the two concepts of freedom and community." The group of more radical federalists was led by René Courtin. As a member of the so-called reform founders, he wanted to realize the European dream with others and exert influence on it. Its goal was the " United States of Europe " with a real political structure and a constituent assembly. Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman , who wanted a sectoral, limited and continuously growing construction through the economy, disappointed René Courtin and Denis de Rougemont. There was a divergence over the structure of the economy, and Courtin did not like Jean Monnet's dirigistic economic conception, because in his opinion one should leave more room for economic freedom.

European Union of Christian Democrats

It was the beginning of the creation of an association among the Christian Democrats with new international teams, which later had taken the European party name: “ European Union of Christian Democrats ” (1965). This group of more radical federalists around René Courtin had a European dream that later became a reality.

Member of the founding fathers

René Courtin was rightly a member of the EU's founding fathers , because he already advertised with a real political construction and a constituent assembly. In contrast, Monnet and Schuman were more cautious.

European Defense Community

Courtin also advocated the idea of ​​the European Defense Community (EDC) with Henri Lauga . René Courtin intervened several times and tried to exert influence in order to advance this important European institution in terms of content. He knew that in the end the German rearmament would have to be introduced and in particular he had linked a very advanced political project for Europe with the EVG. Therefore, after the final rejection of the treaty by the French parliament on August 30, 1954, he was disappointed.

Thanks for his life's work

After a long and serious illness, carried by a courage that inspired everyone to admire, he had long been aware of his dwindling strength, but nevertheless continued his work for the European Union until the end . Renè Courtin left behind an extensive life's work, which is permeated by his constant striving for renewal for Europe, although his first work was also for the International Labor Organization (ILO).

literature

• Claude Gruson: Rene Courtin 1900-1964 . In: Revue de l'Institut International de Statistique / Review of the International Statistical Institute, The Hague 1964, Volume 32, Issue 3, pp. 352f.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Reference: Historie in der Europa.EU ( Memento of the original dated June 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.