Cracks in a Façade of Unity: the French and Italian Christian Democrats and the Launch of the European Integration Process, 1945–1957

Abstract

Despite the fact that Christian Democracy is generally considered the main engine behind the launch of European integration, closer inspection reveals that behind a façade of unity the Christian Democratic parties supported the integration process for very different reasons and to very different degrees. Historical research has often overlooked the parties' internal disagreements and the heterogeneous reasons behind their political action. To demonstrate this point, this article focuses on the European policies of the French and Italian Christian Democratic parties between the end of the Second World War and the launch of the Common Market in 1957. By taking into account the party's internal divisions and continuous debates, this article challenges the view that Christian Democracy was united behind the integration project.