1961
Fouchet Plan, The
Christian Fouchet developed proposals for a political union of European states as France sought a more intergovernmental model of cooperation.
European integration · permanent subject timeline
Fouchet Plan
Charles de Gaulle's proposals for intergovernmental European political cooperation. This page combines historical context with 12 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database EEC archive.
Historical context
Fouchet Plan: overview and significance
What happened?
The Fouchet Plans of the early 1960s proposed a political union based more heavily on cooperation between national governments. Negotiations exposed differences between France and its partners over the future institutional character of Europe.
Why was it important?
The failure of the Fouchet negotiations showed the tension between intergovernmental and supranational approaches that continued to shape European integration.
World History Database records
Fouchet Plan timeline
The records below are selected from the 936-record EEC and European integration archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1961
1961
Fouchet Plan, The
Christian Fouchet drafted proposals for a European political union reflecting French preference for cooperation between sovereign states.
1961
Fouchet Plan, The
The idea is to form a new 'Union of States', an interGovernmental alternative to the European Communities
1961
Fouchet Plan, The
Written by Christian Fouchet, France's ambassador to Denmark
1962
1962
Fouchet Plan, The
De Gaulle backed the Fouchet Plan, which proposed a political union based on cooperation between European governments.
1962
Fouchet Plan, The
Draws up the Fouchet Plan for a union of European based around the EU
1962
Fouchet Plan, The
De Gaulle fears a loss of French influence in the European Communities, which was becoming more and more supranational so the Plan is an attempt to keep the balance of power in France's favour
1962
Fouchet Plan, The
De Gaulle supported the Fouchet proposals as an alternative to further supranational expansion of the European Communities.
1962
Fouchet Plan, The
Draws up the Fouchet Plan for a union of Europe based around the EU
1962
Fouchet Plan, The
The Fouchet negotiations failed when other Community members rejected France's preferred intergovernmental model.
1962
Fouchet Plan, The
The success of the European Communities and the lack of enthusiasm of other states stops the Fouchet Plan
1962
Unification
Draws up the Fouchet Plan for a union of European based around the EU
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.
Continue exploring