William Penn’s Idea Of A European Parliament
Posted on 29 March 2021
The idea of a European Parliament was first pioneered, in 1693, by the Quaker William Penn.
In 1693, Penn wrote the essay Towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe by the Establishment of a European Parliament, in which he expressed the hope that disputes between neighbouring nations would be resolved by peaceful talks and not by the raising of arms.
The essay argues that Europe should do the following:
- Form an assembly of people who held authority
- Have its assembly meet regularly
- Maintain an open and ongoing dialogue between nations
- Listen to all complaints
- Administer justice with equal fairness
- Keep the peace
Philadelphia’s Prosperity
The idea came to Penn as a way to ensure the prosperity of his newly founded colony of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. The colony needed the support of a united Europe to not just survive but thrive. A Europe with nations divided would not be able to supply the goods, resources and quantity people needed to emigrate and settle in his territory.
It took nearly three centuries for Penn’s vision to materialize. In June 1979, the first European Parliament elected directly by its citizens, was implemented. That Parliament had only nine member states, and all from western Europe.
As its motto, the Euopean Union took a Latin phrase used in Penn’s essay:
Cedant arma togae
This translates as, ‘Let arms yield to the toga’. In other words, fighting gives way to talking.
Another Latin phrase from Towards the Present and Future Peace of Europe by the Establishment of a European Parliament is:
Beati Pacifici
Which translates as, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’
Today, the European Parliament is elected today by citizens of 27 countries -following Brexit the UK left in early 2020.
What would William Penn think of his home nation abandoning the dream he envisaged 327 years ago?
Image from uscivilliberties.org/