Our guests
Numerous dignitaries of all nationalities and beliefs have been the honoured guests of the Council of Europe. These men and women, often instrumental in the implementation of political, social and cultural initiatives, illustrate the dynamism and values which, since the 1950s, have governed the work of the Council of Europe
You will need to activate Javascript
in your browser
or update your version of
Flash Player
to access this site!
Heinrich von Brentano [1904 - 1964]
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany
14 January 1953
The
first European institution to pave the way for the creation
of a European Political Authority
His speech:
Mr. President, the Council of Europe
has played a prominent part in the development of the work
whose conclusions I now have the honour of putting before
you. It was the first European institution to pave the way
for the creation of a European Political Authority. As far
back as its First Session in August-September, 1949, the
Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe declared
unanimously that the aim of the Council of Europe was the
establishment of a European Political Authority with limited
functions but real powers.
From the outset, therefore the Consultative Assembly sought
to amend the Statute of the Council of Europe. Its
discussions on the need for constitutional changes did not
represent a mere splitting of hairs but were a serious
attempt to find a formula for a genuine union – and meant
continuous investigation of the political possibilities
existing in this field.