In a speech on September 5, 1929, to the League of Nations Assembly in Geneva, the French Prime Minister, also the Minister for Foreign Affairs, advocated for the eventual creation of a ‘federal link’ among European countries. He envisioned this ‘European Union’ as a collaborative association of states, only open to European nations that were members of the League of Nations, operating under its guidance. This proposed union aimed to integrate Europe’s economies more closely by establishing a ‘Common Market’ through a ‘Customs Union’. Following the Briand memorandum, there was a plan to convene a conference of European states to discuss these ideas, but it never took place. In France, as well as across Europe, the proposal met with growing nationalist opposition. The economic downturn ultimately led to the abandonment of this initiative.
The full text of this speech can be found online in the European Parliament’s website. In English / and in French