Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast David Price: Schuman and the Fragmentation of Europe
Dec 13, 2025
David H. Price, a British journalist and founder of the Schuman Project, delves into the intricacies of European integration. He highlights Robert Schuman's fears of civilizational collapse and the need for a supranational approach to prevent conflict. Price contrasts decades of peace with economic decline post-1990, discussing the failures of EU governance and the democratic deficit. He advocates for renewed openness and dialogue with Russia, emphasizing the need to restore strategic stability and public trust in European institutions.
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Supranationalism To Stop War
- Robert Schuman prioritized preventing war by pooling coal and steel under democratic control.
- He invented a 'supranational' layer between federal and confederal systems to coordinate democracies.
Schuman Warned Of European 'Suicide'
- Schuman had just helped found the Council of Europe before proposing the coal and steel community.
- He used the threat of 'suicide' to describe Europe's peril and urgency in 1950.
Two Millennia Of War, Then Long Peace
- Western Europe experienced 2,000 years of near-constant war before Schuman's initiatives.
- From 1945 until recent decades Europe had its longest historical peace, driven by the community system.