XI année, 1969, Numéro 3-4, Page 204
UNA ELEZIONE PER L’EUROPA
Esposizione del significato e dei problemi del disegno di legge di iniziativa popolare per l’elezione unilaterale diretta dei delegati italiani al Parlamento europeo, a cura della Commissione Italiana del Movimento Federalista Europeo
CAPITOLO IV
RIPERCUSSIONI EUROPEE
DELL’INIZIATIVA ITALIANA
ALLEGATO 8
SIT-DOWN FOR FEDERAL EUROPE
(estratto da «The Times», martedì 2 dicembre 1969)
From Our Correspondent
The Hague, Dec. 1
Over 1,000 demonstrators, protesting at the slowness in uniting Europe, were waiting for the Common Market countries’ leaders when they arrived at the Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights) here today for the start of their summit conference.
They carried banners declaring «Keep pretending» and chanted «European election now».
Seven demonstrators sat down in the road as the car of the first delegate, Mr. Otto Werner, of Luxembourg, arrived and foiled police attempts to carry them away. Mounted police were brought in to press the crowd back from the road but no arrests were made.
Earlier, the demonstrators, led by five students wearing a large green « E », the symbol of the European integrationists, and carrying the portraits of Dr. Adenauer, M. Robert Schuman, and others who signed the Treaty of Rome, marched through the streets of The Hague shouting «United Europe now».
Federalist groups from all over Europe were bringing a weekend of action to a climax. Teach-ins were held on Sunday at The Hague, Antwerp and Brussels. The Hague teach-in was addressed by Professor Walter Hallstein, former president of the Common Market Commission, who said: «I come here tonight, not as a technocrat but as a democrat who wants to build a democratic Europe».
This morning, before marching to the Ridderzaal, they heard speeches from representatives of some of the 37 organizations behind the demonstration, who grouped themselves under the title of Young Federalists.
One speaker was Lord Harlech, president of the British Council of the European Movement, who said that the growing disillusionment of young people with national politics threatened the collapse of our society.
He went on: «And this is why the meeting of heads of state that is taking place this afternoon is of such crucial importance. Either we are going to witness the re-launching of the spirit of European unity or we are going to see once again the emphasis placed upon short term problems, leading to a further period of stagnation and disenchantment».
Everyone in the hall seemed to agree with him on that, but there were a wide variety of views on how to avoid such an event happening.
The great majority of demonstrators, representing the Federalist European Clubs, which came into existence in the 1950s, thought that the most important problem was to get ahead with creating a united Europe through introducing direct elections to the European Parliament, strengthening economic cooperation and enhancing the Community by Britain’s entry.
But there was a sizable minority from extreme left-wing groups. Sharing the platform on Sunday night wth Professor Hallstein, now a Christian Democrat member of the Bundestag, was a member of the French Communist Party, who talked about the creation of a Europe of the workers.
