Carlos Uriarte and José Ribeiro -- 35 years since Spain and Portugal joined the EEC

On 12 June 1985, Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Communities, with ceremonies taking place in the morning at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon and in the afternoon at the Royal Palace in Madrid. They became part of the most extraordinary political project of the second half of the 20th century. For our two countries, this accession is confused with democracy: membership of the then EEC would not be possible without democracy; and democracy would be very fragile, and perhaps uncertain, without accession.

The 1974 revolution in Portugal paved the way for constituent elections and a new constitution. The First Constitutional Government, headed by Mário Soares, immediately called for Portugal to join the Common Market in 1976. The Sá Carneiro and Freitas do Amaral government in 1980 relaunched the process, which in the meantime had been paralysed by governmental instability. Brussels would soon define that Portugal and Spain would join on the same date, if the Spanish process, which began later, progressed at a good pace. This was the case, again in a government presided over by Mário Soares.

In Spain, the transition began in November 1975 with the death of Francisco Franco and the succession of King Juan Carlos I as head of state. In 1977 the first democratic elections were held and the government of Adolfo Suárez requested the start of negotiations, which were accepted that same year. In 1978 the new Constitution was approved and in 1979 negotiations with Brussels began, which were continued by the government of Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo and concluded by the government of Felipe González.

After 35 years, more than half of the time since the beginning of integration in 1957, Spain and Portugal can be considered part of the founding members. We are two of the first 12. We are part of the redefinition that generated the European Union in 1992. We are part of the change brought about by the fall of the Wall. We are part of the driving force behind the great enlargements of the early 21st century.

Today, we are far from that era of enthusiasm. We are going through times of hesitation, division and difficulty. We need to ask ourselves seriously, with an open mind, what Brexit generated. What did we do to the British people to make the majority decide to leave, 44 years after they were with us? What did the EU do to stop being a promise to them? What did we do to make scepticism, disbelief and disengagement win the day?

It is important to restore the European dream. First, cohesion and trust between all must be protected. With the fall of the Wall in 1989, the European project changed its nature and vocation: it ceased to be a closed club and aspired to be the original mode of political and economic organisation of the European continent in the era of globalisation. A model that must also continue to be a beacon of civilisation and progress for other regions of the world.

The EU's vocation is a continental one, drawing everyone in and knowing how to sustain it. The priority is cohesion, it is the totality of all of us. Let us remember the proverb: "If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together". In Europe, we come from far away; we want to go far away.

European institutions must show experience and vision, maturity and wisdom. As Jean-Claude Juncker warned in June 2017, "Europe cannot be built against the nations". He added: "when I was 15 years old I was a federalist and now I do not believe in a United States of Europe". Wise words. Member states need the European Union; and the European Union needs its member states, each and every one, vibrant democracies and secure nations, able to be what they are, feel and work together. Coudenhove-Kalergi, today, could certainly have written the same as Jean-Claude Juncker, for the "United States of Europe" of which he speaks in his 1923 work "Pan-Europe" was a philosophical ideal, not an exact political-legal model. This is what can be gleaned from his texts of that pioneering decade. The key is to unite the states of Europe to preserve common values and build common wealth, freedom, justice and prosperity.

The European dream feeds on this identity and plurality. The European dream is peace for ever, never again war in Europe. The European dream is democracy, freedom, the rule of law, progress and well-being for all citizens. All this is only possible with all Member States, all motivated and confident. The greatest asset is that we are all of us. Weakened States weaken the Union, which lives on the strength of its States and on the generosity and scope of their action. Spain and Portugal have been able to bring their national and European interests together, thus making a loyal contribution to a common project. By making their own the maxim that the more Spain and Portugal, the more Europe; and the more Europe, the more Spain and Portugal.

The Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950 contains a statement that can never leave our minds: "Europe will not be built all at once or as a whole: it will be built through concrete achievements, first and foremost by creating a de facto solidarity". After the scourge of COVID-19, we are there again. It is a time of challenge and opportunity. By pooling our resources, we must face the crisis and overcome together the very negative economic and social consequences of the pandemic. It can be done. It must be done. As quickly as possible. It would be disappointing if the Americans had helped and rescued Europe in the post-war period and the Europeans, with the EU in the lead, did not know how to support and rebuild.

It is again the moment of truth. Europe will not be made by a single coup, by bureaucratic or legal plots, nor by networks of power. Europe will assert itself through concrete achievements that create de facto solidarity. It is time! It is again the time for the European Union.

This text may be reproduced provided that PROA is credited as the original source.