Our History
“dreams and ideals for a continent ravaged by wars”
Our origins
The European Movement (International) was founded in 1948 by the pioneers of Europe such as Churchill, Adenauer and de Gasperi. Politicians and idealists gathered at the Congress in The Hague with the ambitious goal of preserving Europe. This historic congress was one of the initiatives taken to banish war and division from our continent once and for all and to ensure peace, stability and cooperation.
The European Movement in Belgium since 1949
The Belgian Council of the European Movement, founded in 1949 under the inspiration of presidents like Paul Henri Spaak and Jean Rey has been very successful for years. However, a difficult financial situation and the election of the European Parliament by universal suffrage in 1979 (which seemed to some to be the ideal relay between the Community and its citizens) brought the EMB to scuttlement. At the beginning of the 1980s, the association was dissolved in a context where the European idea had progressed well and where its function of encouraging the Belgian authorities and people to adopt a pro-European attitude was less necessary. Nevertheless, in 1992, following the Danish and French referenda on the Maastricht Treaty, the European Movement in Belgium was relaunched by a few personalities like our late honorary president Willy De Clercq, after the observation of the existence of a growing gap between European integration and public opinion.
Today
Today it is again not easy for organizations such as the European Movement to survive financially. Yet Europe is in crisis. Current events bear witness to the population's desire for more democracy, transparency and participation. At the same time, while the EU struggles to cope with many problems, the 'eurosceptics' present Europe as the cause of all these ills. As the Danish and French referendums alerted our organization in 1992, the financial crisis, the refugee crisis and the consequences of the British referendum to leave the EU ('Brexit') are having a similar effect. In this context, the action and the philosophy of the European Movement seem absolutely relevant and necessary to us.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui encore, il n'est pas facile pour des organisations telles que le Mouvement Européen de survivre financièrement. Pourtant, l'Europe est en crise. L'actualité témoigne de l'aspiration de la population à plus de démocratie, de transparence et de participation. Dans le même temps, alors que l'Union européenne se bat pour faire face à de nombreux problèmes, les "eurosceptiques" présentent l'Europe comme la cause de tous ces maux. Comme les référendums danois et français ont alerté notre organisation en 1992, la crise financière, la crise des réfugiés et l'actuel référendum britannique ("Brexit") ont un effet similaire. Dans ce contexte, l'action et la philosophie du Mouvement Européen nous semblent absolument pertinentes et nécessaires.
