« 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

Happy birthday AEGEE! April 1985 – April 2020: 35 years of the Etats Généraux des Etudiants de l’Europe

Under the aegis of Franck Biancheri, the first “Etats généraux des étudiants de l’Europe”, EGEE I, was held in Paris from 16 to 22 April 1985, 35 years ago! A founding event for one of the most important trans-European interdisciplinary student associations, of which he was the founding president, still today, 35 years later: 13000 members, present in 161 university cities in Europe (see AEGEE-Europe website).

 

These were the first steps in the trans-European political dimension for the man who will be the main pioneer of new forms of democratisation at trans-European level, a fight that Franck Biancheri will lead, until his premature death in 2012, within the framework of many other structures that he will have founded.

 

However, this spring of 2020 is a very special anniversary that AEGEE is celebrating through its antennaes throughout Europe: a virtual celebration, which has to face the challenge of the coronavirus forcing each of its members to stay at home. A constraint of confinement that pushes the association to implement innovative tools of organization, functioning, and governance (the next Agora is to be held in May), which will undoubtedly be one of the major paradigm shifts in the evolution of the association tomorrow, which will surely be able to show itself once again a pioneer in this field, as Franck Biancheri had conceived it 35 years ago.

 

We propose you a small tour through our archives to discover what EGEE I was, how it was organised over the 7 days of the event, the organisation of the congress and the guests and honorary speakers, the evenings, memorable for some alumni, the media coverage… starting with Franck Biancheri’s introduction in the congress brochure, published today: It is now time to make the citizens the real driving force of the process of community construction. The word of the President, Franck Biancheri, on the congress EGEE1, April 16th, 1985″.

 

And now it’s time for the party to find out what AEGEE has in store for us! Happy Birthday to you!

 

Marianne Ranke-Cormier, VP AAFB