« Antidemocratic and xenophobic forces of Europe have always been attracted by the European unity dream, the mystic of the imperial Rome»
(FB - 1998)
" Being a citizen is a voluntary act "
(FB - 2009)
"Thinking about the future only makes sense if it is aimed at improving one’s thinking about the present and about the trends at work"
(FB - 1998)
"The European project is not a dream, but a hope. It is rooted in rationality, which is not the case with dreams. We Europeans have seen our dreams end in nightmares too often not to be suspicious."
(FB - 2005)
"The strength of a network is judged at the information level of the weakest link, or more precisely the link furthest from the centre of the network."
(FB - 2004)
"Europe's destiny is escaping the two "Greats" and it will come knocking on the door of the Europeans."
(FB - 1989)
"The history of Europe is a bit like a multifaceted diamond. Everyone sees the same diamond... but no one sees exactly the same facets."
(FB - E-storia project, 2004)
"Let us dare the future as the founding fathers of Europe did"
(FB - "From EU to Euroland", 2001)
"The European citizenship can not be decreed. The European citizen can only be born..."
(FB - 1992)
"Every state is a minority in the EU. In any case, let’s not forget that if all our states went into building the EU it is because they all felt too small to face alone both their future and the rest of the world."
(FB - 2003)
"From a single (EU) Currency to a single (EU) Citizenship. The euro is only an instrument."
(FB - 1997)
"An empire is always providing platforms where conflicts and wars prolife­rate... an empire needs enemies, whilst a Community requires partners."
(FB - 1992)
"Europe’s history has taught us that dreams and nightmares are the two faces of the same coin"
(FB - “Europe is Peace” 2006)
"Everybody wants to have a successful enlargement whereas it is a successful enlarged EU which is important."
(FB - 2002)
"It is clear that the existing national political parties can not serve two masters: national and European."
(FB - IDE, 1989)
"It takes teamwork to make Europe move forward."
(FB - 2005)
"There is nothing like one European. The European is a team of Europeans... the only way we can imagine a European, it is a team of people from different countries, not a single man or woman."
(FB - Enschede (NL) 2012)
"On the horizon with a heaven of freedom and a land of responsibility, this is perhaps the soul of Europe."
(FB - 1992)
"The future challenge for the European project is not about Europe anymore, it is about the Europeans."
(FB - 2005)
"The more Brussels speaks English, the less Brussels understands the Europeans"
(FB - 2004)
"Occupy the Future of Europe!"
("What do YOU want as a future for AEGEE?" Franck Biancheri at the 2012 Agora in Enschede)
"To combine new technologies and democratic principles to succeed in the entry of European integration in the 21st century or e-democracy at the service of Euro-democracy"
(FB - EUSV, 2001)
"In the years 00 of the 21st century, democratization can only take place in the perspective of the democratic election of a European executive that remains to be invented."
(FB - EUSV, 2001)
"We must build the European Community, otherwise Europe will soon be culturally Americanised, politically Finlandised and technologically Japanised"
EGEE I, 1984

The Franck Biancheri Award 2016 to AEGEE-Cluj was an amazing success!Retour sur le succès du Franck Biancheri Award 2016 à AEGEE-Cluj!

The Franck Biancheri Award 2016 to AEGEE-Cluj was an amazing success: the need for a democratic EU in order to address properly the challenges of a borderless Europe has been clearly stated…

From May 6th to 9th, three prominent members of the AAFB (Friends of Franck Biancheri Association), namely Marianne Ranke-Cormier, Geta Grama-Moldovan and Marie-Hélène Caillol, were very happy to attend this event which resulted from a unique partnership among AAFB, AEGEE-Europe, AEGEE-Cluj and AEGEE-YourVisionForEurope.

YourVisionForEurope is a new project initiated by AEGEE-Europe’s current Comité Directeur. The Cluj-conference was the launch-event of this visionary long-term project. AAFB is proud to have contributed to the inauguration of this project, one very close to Franck Biancheri’s way of thinking and acting.

Photos AEGEE-ClujThe three-day event gathered around 80 students and was also open to non-AEGEE-member students, who were all invited to discuss the challenges weighing on the European principle of a borderless Europe. The debates took place in a variety of interesting formats, ranging from classical plenary sessions to small groups and training workshops, ultimately  bringing out worthwhile ideas and projects.

The very elaborate programme of the event widened the concept of « borders » to mental borders as well, still framing European citizens minds and action-capacity.

The AAFB members insisted on the following aspects mostly: the challenge for European citizens to prevent a European super-border risking to end up replacing our national borders; the need, nevertheless, to agree on limits to our common space; the role citizens must play in reinventing the concept of border at the age of internet and globalisation; the urgent requirement of inventing and launching a trans-European democracy in order to avoid the set up of a super-state Europe with a super-border, super-police, etc… shutting us all from the world; and the need to bring down the one very last national border which remains in the EU, the political borders where European citizens are trapped as French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Spanish… citizens. Indeed in the face of a growingly threatening world (migration flows, wars, etc…) seen from a growingly closed-up EU, dangers are great to see this super-state Europe take shape instead of what founding-fathers and Franck Biancheri had in mind: an innovative political system, combining competing states into partners sharing common interests, a European community of interests based on the combination of all its nations, serving the interest of its citizens.

Geta, Marianne and Marie-Hélène had the pleasure of being offered to speak in the opening and closing ceremonies as well as in both panel sessions.

>> Booklet of the conference to get here <<

>> Abstracts of the conference may be watched here <<

Le Franck Biancheri Award 2016 décerné à AEGEE-Cluj a été un véritable succès: le besoin d’une UE démocratique pour répondre correctement aux challenges d’une Europe sans frontières a été clairement acté…

Du 6 au 9 mai, trois membres éminents de l’AAFB (l’Association des Amis de Franck Biancheri), à savoir Marianne Ranke-Cormier, Geta Grama-Moldovan et Marie-Hélène Caillol, ont eu le plaisir de participer à l’évènement de Cluj, résultat de la mise en place d’un partenariat entre l’AAFB, AEGEE-Europe, AEGEE-Cluj et AEGEE-YourVisionForEurope.

YourVisionForEurope est un tout nouveau projet initié par l’actuel Comité Directeur d’AEGEE-Europe. La conférence de Cluj a été le l’évènement-lancement de ce projet visionnaire à long terme.  L’AAFB est ravie d’avoir contribué à l’inauguration de ce projet, très proche de la façon de penser et d’agir de Franck Biancheri.

Photos AEGEE-ClujCet évènement de trois jours  a rassemblé 80 étudiants – incluant des étudiants non membres d’AEGEE- qui étaient tous invités à discuter des défis pesant sur les principes européens d’une Europe sans frontières. Les débats ont pris place sous des formes variées et intéressantes, allant des sessions plénières classiques aux petits groupes de travail, en passant par des ateliers de formation, de réflexion, faisant ainsi émerger des idées et projets à forte valeur ajoutée.

Le programme de l’évènement, très complet, a élargi le concept de “frontières”, jusqu’à la notion de “frontières mentales”, qui encadrent encore aujourd’hui les esprits et capacités d’actions des Citoyens Européens.

Le membres de l’AAFB ont principalement insisté sur les aspects suivants: le défis pour les Citoyens Européens d’empêcher l’apparition d’une super frontière Européenne risquant de remplacer nos frontières nationales; le besoin, néanmoins, de se mettre d’accord sur les limites de notre espace commun; le rôle que les citoyens doivent jouer dans la réinvention du concept de frontière à l’heure d’internet et de la mondialisation; l’urgente nécessité d’inventer et de lancer une démocratie trans-européenne afin d’éviter l’installation d’une Europe super-état avec une super-frontière, une super-police, etc… nous coupant tous du monde; et de faire tomber la dernière frontière nationale subsistant dans l’UE, les frontières politiques dans lesquelles les citoyens européens sont piégés comme citoyens Français, Allemand, Hongrois, Italien, Romain, Espagnol… En effet, le visage d’un monde effrayant (flux migratoires, guerres, etc…), une Europe qui se ferme de plus en plus, conduit à penser que les dangers sont immenses, notamment celui de voir cette Europe super-état prendre forme au lieu d’opter pour le projet que les pères fondateurs et Franck Biancheri avaient en tête: un système politique innovant, qui combine des états compétitifs et des partenaires aux intérêts communs partagés, une communauté Européenne basée sur la combinaison des intérêts de toutes ses nations, servant les intérêts de ses citoyens…

Geta, Marianne et Marie-Hélène ont eu le grand plaisir d’être invitées à parler lors de la cérémonie d’ouverture et de fermeture, de même que lors des sessions thématiques.

>> Brochure imagée de la conférence à lire ici (en anglais)<<

>> Extraits de la conférence à visionner ici (en anglais uniquement) <<