« 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

From the Treaty of Rome to Erasmus: The resounding anniversary of the European vision. Franck Biancheri, 2007Du Traité de Rome à Erasmus: le double anniversaire des générations porteuses de l’espoir européen. Franck Biancheri, 2007

erasmus-slogan

In 1987 with and thanks to the ERASMUS programme, thirty years after the Treaty of Rome, the first generations born after the Treaty of Rome, grandchildren of the builders of Europe, would offer what is today the best hope, as Franck Biancheri wrote: “they are ready to carry on in the face of the new historical challenge: to invent a governance for 500 millions European citizens from 27 different peoples, while staying faithful to the principles of democracy, solidarity and freedom”.

At a moment when the generation which actually built Europe is disappearing, the so called peace building generation, Europe remains unfinished, politically betrayed by its political, economic and intellectual elites born from the baby-boomers2, a generation which took shameless profits of the prosperity and peace provided by the post-war founding fathers of Europe.

Facing the challenges, different of course, but similar in size to those of the end of the Second World War: “the division of the continent and eternal national suspicions“, terrorist war, collapse of economic and social model, climate disasters … the Erasmus generations born after the Treaty of Rome are now forced to defend the EU founding principles : freedom, solidarity and democracy, not against nazism or fascism, but against all possible excesses of an unfinished system leading into that.

In 2007, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and the 20th of Erasmus, Franck Biancheri addressed the new generations pointing out that: “This step will require as much imagination, endeavour, courage and political will as the founders of the EU needed 50 years ago… “.

From the Treaty of Rome to the Erasmus programme, Franck Biancheri has drawn a direct line between these generations “direct inheritor of a unique awareness” … “a European mixture of pessimistic intelligence and optimistic will-power, which was constantly aware of the risks of failure, and nevertheless always intently moved forward in order to resume the work initiated…”, by bringing himself two of the most gorgeous bricks to this building, the AEGEE-Europe Network (created in 19853) and the Erasmus Programme (1987) which he founded, besides his hard work and huge activity which we (within the AAFB) are trying to perpetuate and set forth.

We invite you to read this text dedicated to the Erasmus generations, the ones born after the Treaty of Rome: (download pdf):

-> From the Treaty of Rome to Erasmus: The resounding anniversary of the European vision (Franck Biancheri, 2007).

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1 ndlr : Today 28 (Croatia was added to the EU in July 2013)

2 Franck Biancheri asked himself in 2011 “What will the world after the babyboomers look like? Or, more exactly, Europe after the babyboomers?” – Read in the Franck Biancheri Documentation: The decade from 2020 to 2030: Welcome to the World Afterwards (Franck Biancheri, July 2011)

3 see Franck Biancheri: His organisations

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More articles by Franck Biancheri: Franck Biancheri Documentation [divider]

erasmus-sloganEn 1987 avec et grâce à ERASMUS, trente ans après le Traité de Rome, les premières générations nées après le Traité de Rome, les petits-enfants des bâtisseurs de l’Europe, allaient offrir ce qui est aujourd’hui le plus bel espoir quant à reprendre, selon les termes de Franck Biancheri: « le flambeau afin d’affronter le nouveau défi historique que constitue l’invention du gouvernement de 500 millions de citoyens européens de 271 peuples différents, en restant fidèles aux principes de démocratie, de solidarité et de liberté. ».

Alors que la génération qui a été à l’œuvre de la construction européenne, cette génération bâtisseuse de paix, s’éteint, l’Europe reste inachevée, politiquement trahie par ses élites politiques, économiques et intellectuelles issues de la génération des baby-boomers2. Une génération qui a profité sans vergogne des espaces de prospérité et de paix que les pères fondateurs de l’Europe après guerres leur avait ouverts.

Confrontées aujourd’hui à des défis certes différents mais d’une même envergure que ceux à l’issue de la seconde guerre mondiale, une Europe divisée avec les éternelles suspicions nationales, guerre du terrorisme, ruine du modèle économique et social, catastrophes écologiques … les générations Erasmus nées après le Traité de Rome, se voient aujourd’hui contraintes de défendre les principes fondateurs de l’Union européenne : la liberté, la solidarité et la démocratie, certes pas contre le nazisme et le fascisme, mais contre toutes les dérives d’un système inabouti qui y conduisent. En 2007, à l’occasion du 50ème anniversaire du Traité de Rome et du 20ème anniversaire d’ERASMUS, Franck Biancheri s’adressait aux nouvelles générations en insistant que « Cette étape va exiger autant d’imagination, d’audace, de courage et de volonté que celles dont ont fait preuve les fondateurs de l’UE il y a 50 ans… ».

Du traité de Rome à Erasmus, Franck Biancheri trace la lignée directe entre ces générations, ces « porteurs de l’espoir européen », de « cette conscience unique … mélange très européen de pessimisme de l’intelligence et d’optimisme de la volonté, toujours conscient des risques d’échec, et pourtant toujours animé d’une détermination à poursuivre l’œuvre entamée…», en léguant lui-même deux des plus belles pierres à cet édifice, le réseau AEGEE-Europe (créé en 19853) et le programme Erasmus (1987) dont il était fondateur, sans compter son travail acharné et son œuvre immense dont nous tentons de transmettre la mémoire.

Nous vous proposons aujourd’hui de relire ce texte dédié aux générations Erasmus, celles nées après le Traité de Rome en téléchargeant le pdf:

-> Du Traité de Rome à Erasmus: le double anniversaire des générations porteuses de l’espoir européen (Franck Biancheri – 15 mars 2007)

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1ndlr : aujourd’hui 28 (la Croatie a rejoint l’UE en juillet 2013)

2Franck Biancheri s’était interrogé en 2011 « A quoi va ressembler le monde d’après les babyboomers ? Ou plus précisément l’Europe d’après les babyboomers ? » – A lire sur Franck Biancheri Documentation: Décennie 2020-2030 : Bienvenue dans le monde d’après… les babyboomers ! (Franck Biancheri, Juillet 2011)

3Cf Franck Biancheri : ses réseaux

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Plus d’articles de Franck Biancheri: Franck Biancheri Documentation [divider]