National leaders and the making of Europe. Key episodes in the life of the European Council

Since its creation in 1974, the European Council has evolved from an informal meeting of presidents and prime ministers, resembling a cross between a society gathering and a diplomatic conclave, to become a full EU institution in its own right and the Union’s supreme political authority, driving its strategy and resolving its crises. Nothing of any significance in the Union can now be set in motion without its consent, nor accomplished without its support.

This book tells the story of how this came about. Individual chapters describe landmark meetings of the European Council, providing a detailed account of what went on at each summit, evoking the atmosphere and tensions and drawing out the achievements and longer-term significance. As well as high-level politics and the great issues of the European project such as enlargement to the East, treaty reform and the creation of the single currency, the story also involves the clash of strong personalities, sub-plots and moments of high drama.

The authors are serving or former senior EU civil servants who have all been closely involved in preparing and attending European Councils. Very few officials have such intimate access. They therefore write as first-hand witnesses of events as they happened, offering new perspectives and insights.

Contents:

Introduction: A seat of political power and authority
1. The birth of the European Council - Paris, December 1974
2. The promise of a Middle East policy - Venice, June 1980
3. The price of a new beginning - Fontainebleau, June 1984
4. A coup d’état in Milan - Milan, June 1985
5. Paving the way for the single market - Luxembourg, December 1985
6. Pulling the purse strings - Brussels, February 1988
7. After the fall of the Berlin Wall - Paris, November 1989
8. Reshaping the Union around the euro - Maastricht, December 1991
9. Egos and vetoes: choosing the Commission President - Corfu, June 1994
10. Which road to fiscal rectitude for the euro? - Dublin, December 1996
11. Breaking new ground on free movement, security and justice - Tampere, October 1999
12. A mismatch between ambition and reality in economic performance - Lisbon, March 2000
13. The quagmire of reforming the institutions - Nice, December 2000
14. Uniting the new Europe - Copenhagen, December 2002
15. Resurrecting the Treaty - Brussels, June 2007
16. Europe’s ambition to lead on energy and climate - Brussels, December 2008
17. Saving the euro - Brussels, June 2012
Concluding remarks: legitimacy and leadership at the crossroads of European and domestic politics