With the aim of complementing and illustrating its archives, the Historical Archives decided to launch in 2009 a project to collect oral memory. Initially dedicated to collecting testimonies of former Presidents of the European Parliament, the project has gradually expanded to also include former Secretaries-General, MEPs and politicians who played a major role in European construction. These video sequences are unique and exceptional testimonies of the men and women involved and key players in the history of Europe.
"The basic idea uniting us, namely that without an ever greater solidarity, none of our countries will be capable of holding on to their power, their independence and maybe even of continuing to exist, is firmly anchored in the democratic interaction between voters and those they elect."
· Born on 30 January 1930 at the border between Germany and Czechoslovakia in a village called Bodenbach. He died on 18 September 2010. Son of a tradingcompany employee.
· After the war he studied in Magdeburg, where he was a member of a resistance group that was part of the 'Freie Deutsche Jugend', then in Rostock and, finally, in Marburg(in West Germany).
· He was awarded a doctorate in geography and history in 1954, his thesis being on Russian-German relations during Gustav Stresemann's term as Foreign Minister.
· From1959 to 1965 he taught as an expert in international politics at the German army's Centre for Social Research.
· He worked briefly as Ludwig Erhard's election campaign organiser in 1965.
· In1969, appointed by the Bundestag as member of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union.
· Left the European Parliament in 1994 and became adviser to an insurance company.
o 1963-1969- Federal chair of the 'Junge Union'.
o 1964-1970- President of the International Union of Young Christian Democrats in Europe.
o 1965-1980- Member of the Bundestag.
o From1973 - Member of the European Parliament.
o From1977 - Member of the CDU Presidium.
o 1977-1979- Chair of the CD Group in the European Parliament.
o 1979-1982and 1984-1992 - Chair of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.
o 1982-1984- Vice-President of the European Parliament.
o 1989-1997- Chair of the Europa Union in Germany.
o 1992-1994- President of the European Parliament.
The year 1992 marked a turning point in the construction of the European Union with the signature on 7 February of the Maastricht Treaty (Treaty on European Union - TEU) which changed the 'European Economic Community' (EEC) into the 'European Community', thereby ushering in a new structure for cooperation between Member State governments based on three 'pillars' and establishing the European Union.
It was against this historic background that Egon Klepsch was elected President of the European Parliament on 14 January 1992. The duty to "complete the European Union and the unification of Europe" and his awareness of the enormity of the task facing all concerned in bringing this "ambitious project" to a successful conclusion was a key theme of his inaugural speech.
However, before the treaty could come into force, it had to be ratified by all the Member States. The European Parliament, in its resolution of 7 April 1992, voted in favour of its ratification and urged the national parliaments to ratify the treaty, bearing in mind its positive aspects. However, it also set out a list of its failings, notably in relation to the roles the European Parliament and the Commission would play in the intergovernmental 'pillars' and even in economic and social policy.
It would be almost two years before ratification was completed. The first setback occurred in Denmark, where the Danes rejected the treaty by 50.7% in a referendum, plunging the ratification process into crisis. In France, the 'yes' vote won narrowly in a referendum on 20 September. In Great Britain, the Euro-sceptics threatened to go to the Court to hold back ratification on the pretext that a formality had not been respected.
The tension at the end of 1992 was palpable, as can be seen from letters between Mr Klepsch and representatives of the Danish Green Party, following publication of an interview with the EP President in a Swedish newspaper:
In his speech to the extraordinary European Council of 16 October 1992 in Birmingham, President Klepsch set out his position on the problems encountered in successfully completing the ratification process. Referring to the resolutions adopted by a large majority two days earlier in the European Parliament, he urged the Heads of State or Government to increase transparency and strengthen democracy in the Community. He proposed to create a more positive image of the European Community, reminding the public that the European unification process was "founded on the principles of openness, subsidiarity and democracy" and on "restoration of public trust in politics".
When the second referendum was held on 18 May 1993, Denmark finally approved the Maastricht Treaty by a majority of 56.8% of the votes.
The Treaty on European Union came into force on 1 November 1993.
"Never before in our common history have we had more the 50 years without armed warfare between European states, to the point where the younger generations take peace in Europe for granted"
" I am neither of the old nor of the new Europe. I am simply a European who rejects denominations intended to perpetuate our division."
European Parliament
European Parliament