Does the European construction and integration process belong to intellectual elite?

Résumé du document

"Building Union among people not cooperation between states". This quote of Jean Monnet underlines a specific side of the European integration history. Europe is not merely cooperation between states around an economical project, or motivated by the self-interest of states. Europe is, also, an idea, an ideological project. But, it is not the same groups who shared the same projects. For that we can distinguish in European integration history different big groups such as: politicians, intellectual elite, citizens, economic lobbies etc. The 'intellectual elite' is a group heterogeneous people, who lead a major role in this history. Firstly, it is important to define the 'intellectual elite'. The Elite are "A group or class of persons or a member of such a group or class, enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status: "In addition to notions of social equality there was much emphasis on the role of elites and of heroes within them" (Times Literary Supplement)." In the case of 'European intellectual elites', it is a group of persons who enjoy superior intellectual status due to the fact of having a high-level of education, or cultivation. The example of the European founding fathers is more complicated. They evolved between the political and intellectual elite. So, we will speak more precisely about a strict intellectual elite and their contribution in the European integration process. But, if intellectual elite takes part in European construction, we can tackle the question of the importance of this contribution."Does the European construction and integration process belong to intellectual elite?" We can try to understand more clearly the role of intellectual elite in European integration. Does it have a significant role, and whether it stays constant and united, or divided?

Extraits

[...] But the tangible Europe was constructed after the second word war, not with intellectual elite ideas but with economic tool. We can explain this change with different reasons. It is not easy to understand why a such motivated group as paneuropean disappear in the construction of the after war Europe. First the war changed the drive of awareness-raising, Europe is necessary for peace, and against decline, but also for the liberty and the democracy. The importance of liberty got over the europeism. [...]

[...] It is the most important subject for the elites, nevertheless it is not the case for the citizens. If the interval is less important, citizens are before everything worried about employment policy, social inclusion . This observations remind that the main issues for intellectual elites are more universal. The European citizens comprehend Europe with individual case analysis, not a general idea. The enlargement aggravate this gap. Indeed the citizens are alarmed about the successive enlargement. The integration of countries with a slow level of social protection worry lot of citizens. [...]

[...] For this reasons, the emerging Europe was a practical union and not ideological union. The loss of an important ideological identity was emphasized by the character federalist of the Union. For end, the single act assented to underline the lack of intellectual elites participation in the European integration process. Indeed, after the war, reconstruction was a priority in each country, not together. It is Winston Churchill, who seem to be the first one interested in European projects, more for the continent that his country: It is to recreate the European family, with a structure under which it can dwell in peace, in safety and in freedom. [...]

[...] For end, we see that the intellectual elite in the after war European construction was not a suggestion entity, they did not participate in the European construction or more in a criticize way, in major part because the economic construction was distant to their ideological views. For end, we can think more generally about the gap between citizens and elites. Indeed, lot of time the European integration history is read on the point of view of the elites politics, economics, intellectual . The place according to citizens is very small. Or there are a big gap between the elites and citizens. We will see first some figures, then the difficulties linked to the enlargement, and for end, the electoral sanction. [...]

[...] Does the European construction and integration process belong to intellectual elite? I - The European idea is not a continuous idea on the intellectual elites. II - The economic project takes over ideological project. III The gap between 'intellectual elites' and citizens' Introduction "Building Union among people not cooperation between states". This quote of Jean Monnet underlines a specific side of the European integration history. Europe is not only cooperation between states around an economical project, or motivated by states self-interest. [...]