Federalizm europejski XX wieku. Założenia i realizacja. Cz. 1
Journal Title: Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Sztuki Wojennej - Year 2010, Vol 2010, Issue 3
Abstract
Federalism is a political system consisting in the division of sovereignty (competence division) between a federation and its component (federation’s entities), bearing different names depending on the country. It assumes that the power and decision-making processes are taken as close to these communities as possible. Only those areas of social life undergo centralization where it is necessary. They include mainly foreign policy, defence policy and economic policy. This system connects national, ethnic and cultural diversity with the unity and integrality of the state. Federalism has been successfully functioning in the political system practice in the United States since the end of the 18th century. It became a model for many European politicians in the 20th century and was perceived as a system that leads to internal security, contributes to strengthening international security, international cooperation and exchange and economic development. It guarantees a wide autonomy to the federation members, freedom of cultural exchange for national and ethnic minorities, internal stability and security. It also fulfils political aspirations and provides opportunities for economic development. During World War I and between-the-wars-period, many concepts and plans of integrating European countries were presented basing on the principle of a federa-tion or confederation on the continent scale or regional one that were to ensure peace and economic development in Europe. The most important of them comprise the plan of regional federation in Central Europe devised by Tomas Masaryk, Józef Piłsudski’s federation conception, Richard Coudenhove-Kalergy’s Pan-European federation, Aristide Briand and Edouard Herriot’s idea of the United States of Europe. However, due to setting up totalitarian and authoritarian states and development of nationalism the realisation of these projects was doomed to fail. The World War II tragic experiences prompted the return of the plans of Europe’s federalization. The first realistic plans of after the war European integration were set up basing on the federation solutions’ premises. The climax and significant success of that political movement was the Congress of Europe held in the Hague in 1948 initiated by Winston Churchill. Nevertheless, the Council of Europe established by the Congress was deprived of supranational rights that in fact meant the defeat of the federalism advocates. That trend was fostered by western European integration organizations, the most important of which was the Union of European Federalists and European Parliamentary Union. The most active representatives of that idea included Altiero Spinelli, Konrad Adenauer, Walter Hallstein, Paul H. Spaak i Duncan Sandys. The integration of Europe after the war was dominated by functionalism that assumed gradual economic integration at the cost of political one. It led to setting up the European Union comprising 27 European states.
Authors and Affiliations
Stanisław Maksimiec
Keywords
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