1965 2nd July
Empty Chair Crisis
France began boycotting Council meetings during the Empty Chair crisis over agricultural finance and institutional voting.
European integration · permanent subject timeline
Empty Chair Crisis and Luxembourg Compromise
The 1965–1966 institutional crisis over voting and Community authority. This page combines historical context with 5 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database EEC archive.
Historical context
Empty Chair Crisis and Luxembourg Compromise: overview and significance
What happened?
France boycotted Community institutions during the Empty Chair Crisis amid disputes over agricultural finance and majority voting. The Luxembourg Compromise helped end the confrontation.
Why was it important?
The episode slowed supranational decision-making and demonstrated how strongly member states could resist integration when they believed vital national interests were involved.
World History Database records
Empty Chair Crisis and Luxembourg Compromise timeline
The records below are selected from the 936-record EEC and European integration archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1965
1965 July
Council Boycott
Couve de Murville defended France's withdrawal from Council meetings during the Empty Chair dispute.
1966
1966 29th January
Luxembourg Compromise
The Luxembourg Compromise ended the Empty Chair crisis and protected unanimity when a member claimed vital national interests.
1966 29th January
Luxembourg Compromise
Leads West Germany as the Luxembourg Compromise ends the institutional crisis caused by France's empty-chair policy.
1966 January
Return to Community Council
France resumed participation in Community Council business after the Luxembourg Compromise.
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database EEC records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
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