Bulletin n. 1-2/2014
November 2014
CONTENTS
  • Section A) The theory and practise of the federal states and multi-level systems of government
  • Section B) Global governance and international organizations
  • Section C) Regional integration processes
  • Section D) Federalism as a political idea
    • Genin Vincent
    Belgian Foreign Policy Facing France. The role of a Small Country and A Bilateral Relation During the Empty Chair Crises (1965-66)
    in Journal of European Integration History , vol. 19, n. 2 ,  2013 ,  259-276
    The empty chair crisis which took place from June 1965 until January 1966, has already been extensively examined. Belgium, a so-called «small country», whose foreign policy was led by Paul-Henri Spaak, aimed to play a conciliatory role between France and other countries of the EEC, hoping to relaunch European integration during this difficult period. Often described as a country that was opposed to De Gaulle’s European vision, Belgium actually maintained a more complex relationship with France than it often appears. Using some hitherto unused documents, the article assesses the importance of Franco-Belgian bilateral relations in the ending of the empty chair crisis. It shows that, even if Belgian policy cannot be understood outside the Benelux or EEC, it was nevertheless perfectly capable of managing a distinct policy in this particular instance.
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