Paul Henri Spaak's Speech
Belgian statesman and
Socialist leader. He held various cabinet posts over 30 years (1935-1965) and
served almost continually as foreign Minister from 1938 to 1949. A moderate
Socialist, Spaak was three times premier (1938-39, 1946, 1947-49). He was again
foreign Minister from 1954 to 1957, and he resumed that post from 1961 to 1966,
serving also as vice premier (1961-65).
Spaak acquired
international stature as first president of the General Assembly of the United
Nations (1946), chairman of the Council for European Recovery (1948-49), and
secretary-general of NATO (1957-61).
In both national and
international posts Spaak strove for the political and economic unification of
Western Europe, and he was active in the creation of the organisations that have
since become the European Union.
In 1950, he was
elected president of the OEEC and the Council of Europe, and two years later, he
chaired the Assembly of ECSC. He presided over the Conference of Messina, where
the foreign Ministers of "the Six" made the definitive step who led to the
Treaty of Rome.
Juan
Carlos Ocaña
