Benelux 1920-1970 [antikvár]

Benelux 1920—1970 INTRODUCTION It is always a good thing to dispose of misunderstandings as quickly as possible. Let us therefore begin by impressing the need to distinguish between the Benelux countries and Benelux itself. The Benelux countries are almost self-identifying : they are Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, otherwise known as the Low Countries. Benelux, in contrast, is the economic union towards which the governments-in-exile of the three countries took a first step in September, 1944, with the conclusion of a customs agreement. The initial product of that agreement was the customs union. With that step, we are already halfway through the period 1920-70 which we are about to examine from an economic point of view. From 1815 to 1839, the Netherlands and Belgium formed one kingdom, and until 1890 members of the House of Orange were not only Kings of the Netherlands, but also Grand Dukes of Luxembourg. All this common history is woven into the backcloth of the Benelux which will form the principal framework of our considerations, as a frame surrounds a painting. Viewed in their relation to the world of today, the questions how and why the development towards greater economic unity was undertaken are very urgent. Viewed thus, the differences immediately become apparent. One problem which has cultural, political and economic consequences, and which has so far defied solution, is the national language controversy in Belgium, an element which is not present in the Netherlands or Luxembourg. One of the first acts of the provisional government which came to power in 1830 was to proclaim French as the only official language of Belgium. While French was the language of those who at that time wielded political and economic power, the proclamation utterly ignored the fact that more than half the [5]