Supranational Institutions

Abstract

There is something dramatic in our situation that just twenty kilometres from here a similar group of very high officials is at this very moment also discussing a plan for the future development of Europe, including the United Kingdom, of course, the Scandinavian countries, and even Switzerland. Their discussions are based on economic data. They are discussing an industrial plan and I must admit that I am very much concerned about what the outcome of these discussions will be. They have access to figures with regard to economic data, increase in the standard of living and expansion, that have never been seen before, not even in the United States. Absolutely nothing of what we are discussing here will be heard at those meetings, which are for the purpose of making decisions. Here we discuss, but the decisions are made there. Is there not something diabolical about the whole thing, the fact that we are sitting around this table in a quiet castle here in Belgium engaged in discussion while twenty kilometres from here totally other decisions are being made — absolutely different decisions?

This paper is an authorized edited version of Mr. Mansholt’s views and represents his contribution to the project.