The Hertensteiner Programme of 22. September 1946 of the Union Européenne des Fédéralistes
a) Background
The Hertenstein program consists of twelve theses, which were discussed and decided on between 15th-19th September, 1946 in the Swiss village of Hertenstein at a conference of the Swiss Europe-Union and seventy nine federalist representatives from fourteen European countries and the United States. The Hertenstein program is a plaidoyer to form a European Federation, in which the participating states would delegate a part of their economic, political and military sovereignty to a Federation. This European Union should become part of the United Nations and form a regional body according to article 52 of the Charter of the United Nations. This should have made possible that inter-state-conflicts be settled without recourse to force. The Federation should form a security framework to reconstruct Europe, to democratize Europe and to further peaceful development in economic, technical, social and cultural matters. On 19th September, a second fundamental event for European integration took place in Switzerland. Winston Churchill held his seminal speech in the aula of the university and on Münsterhof square ending with the sentence, “Let Europe arise”.
b) Summary
The Hertenstein program consists of 12 theses, which were discussed and deliberated upon between the 15th-19th September 1946 in the Swiss village of Hertenstein at a conference of the Swiss Europe-Union and seventy-nine federalist representatives from fourteen European countries and the United States. The Hertenstein program is a plea to form a European Federation, in which the participating states would delegate a part of their economic, political and military sovereign prerogative to a federation. This European Union should become part of the United Nations and form a regional body according to art. 52 of the Charter of the United Nations. This should have made possible that inter-state-conflicts be settled without recourse to force. The federation should form a security framework to reconstruct Europe, to democratize Europe and to further the peace development in economic, technical, social and cultural matters. On the 19th September a second fundamental event for European integration took place in Switzerland when Winston Churchill held his seminal speech in the aula of the university and on Münsterhof square ending with the sentence, “Let Europe arise”.