Die EU als globaler Akteur: Die anhaltende Relevanz von de Gaulles Vision für Europa

Following WWII, then-French president Charles de Gaulle sought to restore France’s great power status and rejuvenate Europe’s primacy in global politics. For this, he would formulate his own vision for a united and independent Europe, on par with the US and USSR. Unlike the then-dominant approach to European integration, which prioritized economic over political integration, de Gaulle’s vision promoted political cooperation on foreign and defense policy alongside economic consolidation. Without this, he argued, Europe would never unlock its true potential as a global power – a vision still as relevant as ever today.