‘... the sequence of seasons inevitably leads us towards greater unity, if not the unity we are able to organise, then the unity we will have to endure. If not the unity governed by democratic law, then the unity imposed by brute force: in any case, there is no longer any room for the separate action of our ancient sovereign states.’
Jean Monnet – inventor of an effective method of uniting people and nations, and creator of the foundations of the European institutional system that operates today.
Son of a cognac producer and merchant
He was born on 9 November 1888 in Cognac, in south-western France, into the family of a cognac producer and merchant. His childhood and youth shaped his character traits, such as his connection to his homeland, practicality, caution, prudence, thriftiness, concern for preserving and increasing his wealth, and an instinctive aversion to ostentation and living beyond his means. At the age of sixteen, he left secondary school without regret to help his father run the family business. His parents' profession gave him the opportunity to come into contact with foreigners at an early age. Trading with the English, Germans and Americans, he realised that the prosperity of his compatriots depended largely on the prosperity of other countries and peaceful relations with them. He left for London to learn the language and get to know the tastes and customs of the main consumers of cognac. After two years, he set off on a journey through Europe, and then travelled to Canada and the United States. While Europe seemed to him to be a continent dependent on the past, the latter country made a particular impression on him. In America, he sees a dynamic and modern country, looking to the future, in full development. There, he receives an invaluable practical lesson in economics and learns the principles of production and exchange.
Economist and excellent strategist
Due to his health, he was exempted from military service during the First World War. Instead, he decided to use his skills and, through production and organisation, contribute to ending the war by closely coordinating the efforts of France and England in this area. He worked in the French Supply Delegation in London, where he played an important role in the process of creating Allied committees for the coordination and rationalisation of economic activity. For Monnet, the contribution of these committees to the organisation of the war effort and the preparation of the final victory of the Western powers was indisputable confirmation of his thesis that combining actions multiplies their effectiveness. At the end of the war, he was appointed head of the London mission of the French Ministry of Trade and Maritime Transport. He enjoyed great trust and gained widespread respect on the international stage. In 1920, he became Deputy Secretary-General of the League of Nations. He coordinated the work of the multinational administration, developing an effective and efficient model for the functioning of the secretariat as an international body. Over time, he became aware of the weaknesses and ineffectiveness of this organisation. He left his position in the League to continue running the family business, and later undertook a number of international missions as an economic expert.
The common interest above all
During the Second World War, as an Allied official, he again coordinated the work of committees rationing French and British production capacity, emphasising community, common interest and joint action. He also took an active part in developing a programme for the production of war material, introduced by President Roosevelt under the name Victory Programme. In 1943, he sent a note to the French Liberation Committee, in which he wrote:
"There will be no peace in Europe if countries rebuild themselves on the basis of national sovereignty, with all that this entails in terms of prestige and economic protectionism. The countries of Europe are too small to provide their peoples with the prosperity that circumstances make possible and therefore necessary. To achieve this prosperity and social progress, the countries of Europe should unite in a federation or a European community that would make them a common economic whole."
After the war, he implemented his plan for modernisation and economic development in France, stimulating rapid economic growth and, crucially, achieving consensus in a deeply divided society.
Father of a united Europe
At the turn of the 1940s and 1950s, in the face of ongoing changes in Europe, he led the work of experts from six countries, which resulted in the preparation of a project to rationalise the use of industrial resources on both sides of the Rhine. He submitted the finished document to French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, who, after obtaining the approval of the French and German governments, made it public in his famous declaration of 9 May 1950. This led to the drafting of a treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, which was signed less than a year later. During the work on the document, Monnet showed extraordinary dedication to the cause and the idea of a common goal, thus enabling the overcoming of difficulties that were unprecedented in the history of international relations. He clearly opted for the transfer of certain prerogatives of state sovereignty to future Community institutions.
The first citizen of Europe
After the ECSC Treaty came into force, he was appointed President of the High Authority, a supranational institution. He was an exceptionally demanding boss in his management of its work. All the projects he prepared were characterised by the utmost care and accuracy in every detail. He managed an administration whose qualifications, enthusiasm, work rhythm and capacity for innovation became legendary and served as a model for European administrations established later. He always emphasised the need to deepen and broaden European integration. In 1955, he established the Action Committee for the United States of Europe, whose aim was to promote initiatives aimed at creating a European union. In March 1957, he took an active part in the signing of the Treaties of Rome. Until his death, he remained firmly convinced that the European nations must unite in order to survive the difficult and grave threats of the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. He died on 16 March 1979. Three years earlier, the heads of government of the European Community awarded him the title of Honorary Citizen of Europe, the first person to receive this honour.
Prepared by Piotr Idczak based on: ‘Cel: Europa. Dziewięć esejów o budowniczych jedności europejskiej’ [The Goal: Europe. Nine Essays on the Builders of European Unity], J. Łukaszewka, Noir Sur Blanc, Warsaw, 2002.