Churchill's United Europe
Ronald Quinault wonders what Churchill would have made of Maastricht in the light of his post-war activities.
The recent meeting of the European Council at Maastricht last year would have been of particular interest to Winston Churchill. It was at Maastricht, in 1673, that his famous ancestor, the first Duke of Marlborough, won his spurs: fighting for the French against the Dutch. The diplomatic fighting at Maastricht, in 1991, would have come as no surprise to Churchill. Half a century ago, during the Blitz in 1940, Churchill looked forward to a future Europe dominated by Confederations – 'with their Diets of Worms' – and shuddered as he thought of the intricate currency problems that would be involved. But if he had been alive today, where exactly would he have stood in relation to the current agenda for European union?
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