The emergence of eurocitizens (Die Entstehung von Eurocitizens)

Summary

Preface (Edition 2015). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Preface (Edition 1996). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
EGEE I
(January ’84-June’85) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
From a project for a student “mega-rave” in Paris to the
launching of the first “Etats Généraux des Etudiants Européens . . .24
How a Prime Minister almost nipped EGEE I in the bud. . . . . . . . . .28
How to survive a 500,000-FF deficit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Never did so many (European students) owe so much to so few . . .32
Creating the statues
(July – November ’85). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Making Europe on the 14th of July in Paris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
A European organisation with no national level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Bringing Europeans into contact, rather than
talking about Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Non-translated French-English EGEE-speak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
A new organisation founded on three innovations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
EGEE takes off
(December ’85 – April’86) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
EGEE confronted with the three plagues of Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Existing – in the eyes of European students,
institutions and media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Developing – or: when modern technology
needs innocence to be useful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Taking care not to implode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
First experiences of European democracy
in a Bavarian tavern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Discovering an organisation amnesic from birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
An essential lesson in European politics
and democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
The arrival of a providential man. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Rapid growth and the Erasmus Affair
(May’86 – May’87) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
A movement spreading everywhere without anyone (except the
students) really knowing what it is…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
… but a movement to which everyone is starting to give their support . 58
The unexpected charms of the Netherlands
or the pitfalls of Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
European students to the rescue of Erasmus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
The President, the European students and
the EC programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
A European paradox: The higher you rise, the
harder you fall… even on flat ground. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Discovering a word that does not exist in
French… but is so useful to democracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Having only just arrived, we must already
think of leaving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
AEGEE in a power upheaval
(May’87 – November ’87) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
The arrival of the “arrivistes”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Localism and tourism, the plagues of AEGEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
III-intentioned infiltration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Prometheus, a disturbing nature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
The secret charms of Germany or the pitfalls
of Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
The Seville Bullfight-Agora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
The difficulties of preparing
a sensitive succession
(December ’87 – April’88) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
The quaint charms of France or the pitfalls of Europe. . . . . . . . . . .100
Stepping down for youth… whilst awaiting retirement. . . . . . . . . .102
From Rome to London via Euromanagers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
A Dutch excursion with Mikhail Gorbachev’s
spokesman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
The EGEE IV Agora and the end of my AEGEE years . . . . . . . . . .110
Chronology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
The principal AEGEE-Europe events up until 1988
1985
1986
1987
1988
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122