The European Construction in the 1970s. The Great Divide

The essay aims at singling out the main characters of the integration process in the 1970s. In particular it argues that while in the perevious period the European construction was limited to the Europe of the Six, was usually led by a moderate/conservative elite, was pro-American and dealt with a very limited number of policies, between the late 1960s and the early 1970s there was a turning point in this process and, owing to the decisions taken on the occasion of the Hague summit meeting (December 1969), the European construction involved new countries, was by far less pro--American, was inspired by Social democratic views and developed new important policies. Such a turning point was both the consequence of the social and political changes which shaped westerm Europe after 1968 and of the general development of the international context (i.e. US crisis, economic turmoil, the emergence of the underdeveloped nations). The changes which affected the integration process had some lasting consequences of the characters and goals of the European Community.