« 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

Tomorrow the Euro, the transition to the single European currency. A series of twelve Euro-conferences (Prometheus-Europe,1997)

LEAP2020 and Anticipolis editions publish a Special review: “Euroland at a crossroads, a compilation of texts written by about fifteen authors. The purpose of it, is to report on the vigor of the debate on this reform in order to encourage citizens to better grasp it, in line with the concern that has been ours for 30 years: European democratization (see article on this website).

On the occasion of this release we invite our readers to a return in the future: 1997 !

At that time, while the Euro was only at its first embryonic emotions, Franck Biancheri, had already weighed for a long time all the political and therefore democratic challenges that the introduction of the currency would weigh on its future and the future of Europe.

In 1997 Franck Biancheri was already talking about policies of austerity and budget balancing, clash of economic cultures: discipline of the most lax countries and solidarity of the richest countries, Euro for ever and the democratic community space of Euro-citizens, a success of the project based on the necessary adhesion of public opinion. A support that he judged certainly necessary from the establishment of the single currency, but especially after: “in the future that the real logic behind the single currency will be discovered. There are two simple but essential principles, discipline and solidarity“…

* * * * *

Tomorrow the Euro – twelve Euro-conferences organized simultaneously in Amsterdam, (Barcelona), Bari, Birmingham, Bologna, Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Lille, Munich, Nijmegen, Oxford, Perugia, November 28, 1997!

In order to prepare these public opinions and to open with them the necessary political debate of the Euro, Franck Biancheri initiated at the end of 1997 a series of Euro-conferences titled “Tomorrow the Euro” organized by Prometheus-Europe -whose he was president, on the same day, November 28, 1997 (20 years ago!), simultaneously in 12 European cities, demonstrating once more his commitment to the trans-European dimension as a forum for debate on European issues and technological challenges, never stopping to show that in Europe it was possible.

Twenty years later, it is clear that single currency did not lead to this expected single citizenship. But, the crisis of the Euro of the last ten years, which questioned the Greeks on the question of discipline and the Germans on that of solidarity, demonstrated the correctness of the anticipations of Franck Biancheri and makes regret that his initiatives unique to the times were not supported and followed.

We publish today the Word of Welcome on the Euro-conferences Franck Biancheri had addressed to all the speakers and participants of these 12 euro-conferences. Enjoy reading here: From a single currency to a single citizenship (Franck Biancheri, 1997) !