Jean Monnet – obywatel zjednoczonej Europy

Abstract

Jean Monnet (1888-1979) is regarded by many as a chief architect of European unity. Never elected to public office, Monnet worked behind the scenes of American and European governments as a well-connected pragmatic internationalist. Jean Monnet devoted his final energies to writing his „Mémoires”, in which he recorded the lessons of his experience and his mode of action for generations to come. He died on 16 March 1979 at the age of ninety-one. Jean Monnet liked to quote this saying: „There are two categories of men: those who want to be someone and those who want to do something” If there was ever a man who could be placed in the second category without hesitation, Monnet was that man. In fact, he agreed wholeheartedly, adding, „There is less competition”. At the European Council in Luxembourg on 2 April 1976 the heads of states and governments proclaimed Jean Monnet an „Honorary Citizen of Europe” The European Union itself maintains his memory with the Jean Monnet Programme of the Directorate-General for Education and Culture. This aims to promote knowledge on European integration on a worldwide scale, especially at the university level. The Jean Monnet Action (support for University-level projects on European integration) includes the creation of Jean Monnet Chairs, Centers of Excellence, Modules, Information and Research activities as well as support for academic associations of professors and researchers in European integration. Jean Monnet projects are selected on the basis of their academic merits and following a process of rigorous and independent peer review. The Jean Monnet Action was originally launched in 1989. It is currently present in 62 countries on the five continents. Between 1990 and 2008, the Action has helped to set up approximately 3,000 teaching projects in the field of European integration studies, including 141 Jean Monnet European Centers of Excellence, 775 Jean Monnet Chairs and 2,007 European modules and permanent courses. The Jean Monnet Action brings together a network of 1,500 professors, reaching audiences of 250,000 students every year. Since 2009, among the Jean Monnet Chairs and European modules two are at University of Opole.