De Gaulle finds his 'Master': Gerhard Schroeder's 'Fairly Audicious Politics' in the European Crisis of 1965-66

This article discusses the European politics of the Federal Republic of Germany in the context of the empty chair crisis of 1965-66. The global financial crisis since 2007 and the dramatic financial situation of member states such as Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain have strained solidarity and aggravated existing tensions within the Euro- pean Union (EU). In these times of crisis, the sovereignty of member states is up to debate again and member state governments show an increasing national reflex. The crisis thus crystallises the conflict between communitarian and re-nationalisation trends in EU and member state politics. In a contemporary historical perspective, we observe the same basic conflict when analysing the major constitutional crisis in the history of the European Communities (EC).