Paul-Henri Spaak

One of the great pioneers of the EU who experienced the atrocities of Europe’s bloodiest century. Paul-Henri Spaak, who was imprisoned by the Germans during World War I, served as Foreign Minister of the exiled Belgian government during World War II.
Amidst the ruins left behind by World War II in most of Europe, Spaak saw the opportunity for Europe to become a powerful and peaceful continent through economic and political cooperation.
While in exile in London during the war, together with his counterparts from the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Spaak designed the implementation of an innovative and extremely ambitious plan: a customs union between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
In 1944, the plan came to fruition, and Benelux was born. Within the borders of these three countries, the free movement of capital, people, goods, and services would be guaranteed. This plan would serve as an inspiration for further European integration.
For Spaak, the unification of countries through binding contractual obligations was the most effective means of ensuring peace and stability. He contributed to achieving these goals as President of the first plenary session of the United Nations (1946) and as Secretary General of NATO (1957-1961). Spaak played a leading role in shaping the content of the Treaty of Rome. At the Messina Conference in 1955, the six participating governments appointed him chairman of the working committee that drafted the Treaty.