Víctor Fernández Soriano

Facing the Greek Junta: The European Community, the Council of Europe and the rise of human rights politics in Europe

Abstract In April 1967, a group of colonels seized power in Greece. Since Greece was a member-state of the Council of Europe and held an association agreement with the European Community, both organizations had to define their positions vis-à-vis the new military regime. Very soon, politicians in the parliamentary assemblies of both organizations started to cooperate with the aim of imposing sanctions on Greece. This article examines the inter-organizational dynamics between the European Community and the Council of Europe on Greece during the colonels’ regime. It argues that the European Community imported concrete policy positions and even normative ideas which had first emerged in the Council of Europe. In so doing, the Community prepared the ground for its future human-rights policies.AbstractIn April 1967, a group of colonels seized power in Greece. Since Greece was a member-state of the Council of Europe and held an association agreement with the European Community, both organizations had to define their positions vis-a-vis the new military regime. Very soon, politicians in the parliamentary assemblies of both organizations started to cooperate with the aim of imposing sanctions on Greece. This article examines the inter-organizational dynamics between the European Community and the Council of Europe on Greece during the colonels’ regime. It argues that the European Community imported concrete policy positions and even normative ideas which had first emerged in the Council of Europe. In so doing, the Community prepared the ground for its future human-rights policies.

Las Comunidades Europeas frente al franquismo: problemas políticos suscitados por la solicitud española de negociaciones de 1962

El presente trabajo propone una valoracion de las consecuencias politicas que para la CEE se derivaron de la solicitud de negociaciones enviada por la Espana franquista en febrero de 1962. Se trataba de la primera vez que la CEE recibia una peticion de este tipo proveniente de un estado europeo cuyo regimen era dictatorial. La solicitud espanola abrio, en consecuencia, un debate en el seno de la CEE en torno a los limites politicos de la asociacion, conducido discretamente en un contexto en el que la agenda comunitaria se enfrentaba a cuestiones mas acuciantes. Un debate que, si bien fue zanjado con una solucion intermedia materializada en el Acuerdo Preferencial de 1970, establecio un precedente en la politica exterior de las Comunidades.

Bélgica y la Guerra Civil: el impacto del conflicto español en la política y la diplomacia de una pequeña potencia

The Spanish Civil War had a special impact on the inner political life of Belgium. The Belgian government, composed by a coalition of the 3 main parties (socialist, liberal and catholic), followed the French and British desire to keep non intervention. This decision was conditioned by different issues: an uptight social situation in the country in 1936, the general European peace, the pressure of public opinion and, in particular, of the catholic Church (the Belgian clergy was, as a matter of fact, hostile to the republican cause), and the recommendations of the Belgian diplomatic agents in Spain, who suffered the war in their daily life. The opposition of left-wing politicians provoked several crisis within the Socialist Party and even within the government. Volunteer recruitment was banned and military merchandise circulation was sternly restricted. But, nevertheless, many of these people and many of these goods were already leaving the country towards Spain.