Why have there been no Founding Mothers of Europe?

Agnieszka K. Cianciara

doi:10.35757/SM.2022.75.1.02

Vol. 75 No. 1 (2022): Feminizm

Diplomatic Cabinet

Why have there been no Founding Mothers of Europe?

Agnieszka K. Cianciara⁺⁻

pdf

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35757/SM.2022.75.1.02
Submitted: December 31, 2022
Published: 2022-12-30

Abstract

Women seem strangely absent in the process of European integration, or rather, in the dominant narratives that shape our understanding of how a united Europe was created. The historiography of European integration is populated by founding fathers, but there are hardly any founding mothers in sight. Drawing on the famous essay by feminist art historian Linda Nochlin (Why have there been no great women artists? 1971), this article makes a threefold contribution to the literature: first, it outlines the pitfalls of the feminist urge to ‘(re)discover’ women; second, it investigates the ‘founding fathers’ as a social construct; and, finally, it highlights the key role of institutional opportunity structures for women’s participation in politics.

References

Abels G., MacRae H., Whose story is it anyway? Studying european integration with gender lens, [in:] Routledge handbook of gender and EU politics, eds G. Abels, A. Krizsan, H. MacRae, A. van der Vleuten, Routledge, London–New York 2021.
Aggestam K. et al., Theorizing feminist foreign policy, “International Relations” 2019, no. 33(1), pp. 23–39.
Bard C., Les premières femmes au Gouvernement (France, 1936–1981), “Revue electronique du Centre d’histoire des Sciences Po” 2007, no. 1 (Mai–Juin), http://www.histoire-politique.fr/documents/01/dossier/pdf/premieresFemmesAuGvt.pdf.>.
Carbonell M., The founding fathers of Europe and the ECSC mother, Digital Encyclopedia of European History, ISSN 2677-6588, 20/06/20, [online] <https://ehne.fr/en/node/12427>.
College of Europe, Eliane Vogel-Polsky chosen as “patronne de promotion” 2021/2022, [online], <https://www.coleurope.eu/fr/news/eliane-vogel-polsky-chosen-patronne-de-promotion-2021/2022>.
Denechere Y., The Female Actors of European Construction, Encyclopedie d’histoire numerique de l’Europe [online], ISSN 2677-6588, 22/06/20, <https://ehne.fr/en/node/12182>.
Dinan D., Origins and Evolution of the European Union, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2014.
Ellis J. J., Founding Fathers, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Nov. 2019, [online], <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Founding-Fathers>.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Consider the import of America’s founders George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abigail Adams, Video Transcript, [online], <https://www.britannica.com/video/172150/overview-Founding-Fathers>.
Fortin-Rittberger J., Rittberger B., Do electoral rules matter? Explaining national differences in women’s representation in the European Parliament, “European Union Politics” 2014, no. 15(4).
Gill R. D., Ch. Jensen, Where are the women? Legal traditions and descriptive representation on the European Court of Justice, “Politics, Groups, and Identities” 2020, no. 8(1), DOI: 10.1080/21565503.2018.1442726.
Guéraiche W., Les Femmes et la République. Essai sur la répartition du pouvoir de 1943 à 1979, L’Atelier, Paris 1999.
Guerrina R., Haastrup T., Wright K., Masselot A., MacRae H., Cavaghan R., Does European Union studies have a gender problem? Experiences from researching Brexit, “International Feminist Journal of Politics” 2018, no. 20(2), pp. 254–255, DOI: 10.1080/14616742.2018.1457881.
Kantola J., Rolandsen L. Agustin, Gendering the representative work of the European Parliament: a political analysis of women MEPS’ perceptions of gender equality in party groups, “Journal of Common Market Studies” 2019, no. 57(4), pp. 768–786, <https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12885>
Kopka-Piątek M., Reichardt I., Czy kobiety uratują świat? Feministyczna polityka zagraniczna, Heinrich Boell Stiftung, Warszawa 2020.
Kronsell A., The power of EU masculinities: A feminist contribution to European integration theory, “Journal of Common Market Studies” 2016, no. 54(1), pp. 104–120, <https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12328>.
Łukaszewski J., Cel: Europa. Dziewięć esejów o budowniczych jedności europejskiej, Noir sur Blanc, Warszawa 2002.
Lynggaard K., The roles of images in EU politics, “Journal of Common Market Studies” 2021, no. 59(5), pp. 1213–1229, <https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13176>.
Milosevic A., Does Europe prefer her sons over daughters? Adding the gender perspective to European memory, 2018, [online], <https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/gender/2018/04/05/does-europe-prefer-her-sons-over-daughters-adding-the-gender-perspective-to-european-memory>.
Milward A., The European rescue of the nation-state, Routledge, London–New York 2000.
Nochlin L., Why have there been no great women artists?, ARTnews [1971] [online] 2015, <https://www.artnews.com/art-news/retrospective/why-have-there-been-no-great-women-artists-4201/>.
Parsons C., Showing ideas as causes: The origins of the European Union, “International Organization” 2002, no. 56(1), doi:10.1162/002081802753485133.
Robert Schuman et les pères de l’Europe. Cultures politiques et années de formation, Bruxelles, dir. S. Schirmann, PIE-Peter Lang, Publications de la Maison de Robert Schuman, Bruxelles 2008.
Robert Schuman: Pope puts father of modern Europe on sainthood path, BBC News, 19 June 2021, [online], <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57534918>.
Roos M., Becoming Europe’s Parliament: Europeanization through MEPS supranational activism 1952–79, “Journal of Common Market Studies” 2020, no. 58(6), pp. 1413–1432, <https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13045>.
Schirmann S. (dir.), Robert Schuman et les pères de l’Europe. Cultures politiques et années de formation, PIE-Peter Lang, Publications de la Maison de Robert Schuman, Bruxelles 2008.
Susanna Agnelli: philanthropist, author and politician, “The Times” May 18, 2009, <https://web.archive.org/web/20090521151302/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6307121.ece>.
Veil S., Une Vie, Editions Stock, Paris 2007.
Zientek S., Polki na Montparnassie, Wydawnictwo Agora, Warszawa 2021.
Zinn H., A people’s history of the United States, Harper–Row, New York 1980.
Zinn H., Ludowa historia Stanów Zjednoczonych. Od 1492 roku do dziś, Wydawnictwo Krytyki Politycznej, Warszawa 2016.

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[1] Abels G., MacRae H., Whose story is it anyway? Studying european integration with gender lens, [in:] Routledge handbook of gender and EU politics, eds G. Abels, A. Krizsan, H. MacRae, A. van der Vleuten, Routledge, London–New York 2021.

[2] Aggestam K. et al., Theorizing feminist foreign policy, “International Relations” 2019, no. 33(1), pp. 23–39.

[3] Bard C., Les premières femmes au Gouvernement (France, 1936–1981), “Revue electronique du Centre d’histoire des Sciences Po” 2007, no. 1 (Mai–Juin), http://www.histoire-politique.fr/documents/01/dossier/pdf/premieresFemmesAuGvt.pdf.>.

[4] Carbonell M., The founding fathers of Europe and the ECSC mother, Digital Encyclopedia of European History, ISSN 2677-6588, 20/06/20, [online] <https://ehne.fr/en/node/12427>.

[5] College of Europe, Eliane Vogel-Polsky chosen as “patronne de promotion” 2021/2022, [online], <https://www.coleurope.eu/fr/news/eliane-vogel-polsky-chosen-patronne-de-promotion-2021/2022>.

[6] Denechere Y., The Female Actors of European Construction, Encyclopedie d’histoire numerique de l’Europe [online], ISSN 2677-6588, 22/06/20, <https://ehne.fr/en/node/12182>.

[7] Dinan D., Origins and Evolution of the European Union, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2014.

[8] Ellis J. J., Founding Fathers, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Nov. 2019, [online], <https://www.britannica.com/topic/Founding-Fathers>.

[9] Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Consider the import of America’s founders George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abigail Adams, Video Transcript, [online], <https://www.britannica.com/video/172150/overview-Founding-Fathers>.

[10] Fortin-Rittberger J., Rittberger B., Do electoral rules matter? Explaining national differences in women’s representation in the European Parliament, “European Union Politics” 2014, no. 15(4).

[11] Gill R. D., Ch. Jensen, Where are the women? Legal traditions and descriptive representation on the European Court of Justice, “Politics, Groups, and Identities” 2020, no. 8(1), DOI: 10.1080/21565503.2018.1442726.

[12] Guéraiche W., Les Femmes et la République. Essai sur la répartition du pouvoir de 1943 à 1979, L’Atelier, Paris 1999.

[13] Guerrina R., Haastrup T., Wright K., Masselot A., MacRae H., Cavaghan R., Does European Union studies have a gender problem? Experiences from researching Brexit, “International Feminist Journal of Politics” 2018, no. 20(2), pp. 254–255, DOI: 10.1080/14616742.2018.1457881.

[14] Kantola J., Rolandsen L. Agustin, Gendering the representative work of the European Parliament: a political analysis of women MEPS’ perceptions of gender equality in party groups, “Journal of Common Market Studies” 2019, no. 57(4), pp. 768–786, <https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12885>

[15] Kopka-Piątek M., Reichardt I., Czy kobiety uratują świat? Feministyczna polityka zagraniczna, Heinrich Boell Stiftung, Warszawa 2020.

[16] Kronsell A., The power of EU masculinities: A feminist contribution to European integration theory, “Journal of Common Market Studies” 2016, no. 54(1), pp. 104–120, <https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12328>.

[17] Łukaszewski J., Cel: Europa. Dziewięć esejów o budowniczych jedności europejskiej, Noir sur Blanc, Warszawa 2002.

[18] Lynggaard K., The roles of images in EU politics, “Journal of Common Market Studies” 2021, no. 59(5), pp. 1213–1229, <https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13176>.

[19] Milosevic A., Does Europe prefer her sons over daughters? Adding the gender perspective to European memory, 2018, [online], <https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/gender/2018/04/05/does-europe-prefer-her-sons-over-daughters-adding-the-gender-perspective-to-european-memory>.

[20] Milward A., The European rescue of the nation-state, Routledge, London–New York 2000.

[21] Nochlin L., Why have there been no great women artists?, ARTnews [1971] [online] 2015, <https://www.artnews.com/art-news/retrospective/why-have-there-been-no-great-women-artists-4201/>.

[22] Parsons C., Showing ideas as causes: The origins of the European Union, “International Organization” 2002, no. 56(1), doi:10.1162/002081802753485133.

[23] Robert Schuman et les pères de l’Europe. Cultures politiques et années de formation, Bruxelles, dir. S. Schirmann, PIE-Peter Lang, Publications de la Maison de Robert Schuman, Bruxelles 2008.

[24] Robert Schuman: Pope puts father of modern Europe on sainthood path, BBC News, 19 June 2021, [online], <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57534918>.

[25] Roos M., Becoming Europe’s Parliament: Europeanization through MEPS supranational activism 1952–79, “Journal of Common Market Studies” 2020, no. 58(6), pp. 1413–1432, <https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13045>.

[26] Schirmann S. (dir.), Robert Schuman et les pères de l’Europe. Cultures politiques et années de formation, PIE-Peter Lang, Publications de la Maison de Robert Schuman, Bruxelles 2008.

[27] Susanna Agnelli: philanthropist, author and politician, “The Times” May 18, 2009, <https://web.archive.org/web/20090521151302/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6307121.ece>.

[28] Veil S., Une Vie, Editions Stock, Paris 2007.

[29] Zientek S., Polki na Montparnassie, Wydawnictwo Agora, Warszawa 2021.

[30] Zinn H., A people’s history of the United States, Harper–Row, New York 1980.

[31] Zinn H., Ludowa historia Stanów Zjednoczonych. Od 1492 roku do dziś, Wydawnictwo Krytyki Politycznej, Warszawa 2016.