European University Institute Library

Albert-Marie Gordiani, [Fonds], 1943-1998

fre

Albert-Marie Gordiani

851517143

[Fonds]

The fonds comprises material on the federalist movements that flourished starting 1944 which was based on the idea that social groups or communities could freely organise into a federation and be represented before the State. To this end, they considered it necessary to reform the country's structure. In addition, they aimed at establishing an international federated order in which "the various countries must articulate their complementary diversities under the arbitration of a common political authority". In October 1944 the "Fédération" was founded in Paris. While preserving its own status, the Fédération joined the Union of European Federalists (UEF) formed in 1946. Under the authority of its leaders the Fédération established a series of related but autonomous federal organizations: the French Federalist Movement, the Council of European Municipalities. Rhone-Alpes became one of the most active regional centers of the Fédération. In 1946, J. Barascud created a group in Lyon and in December 1948 Gordiani gave his support to establish the Lyon Federalist Union. Due to the lack of dynamism in the Center of Paris, the Fédération / Rhone-Alps began to establish contacts with local activists of the European Supra-national Federalist Movement (MFE) created in 1959 (from which the Fédération separated in 1957 to join the new Action Européenne Fédéraliste (AEF). The process resulted in the creation of a new European Federalists Union (UEF) at regional level in April 1969, in anticipation of an international federalist reunification, which was accomplished in April 1973