As part of its series of lessons on figures enshrined in the Pantheon, Le Grand Continent invited Giuliano da Empoli to choose a figure. For his lesson, he chose Jean Monnet. The speech is reproduced in full in Le Grand Continent.
Delivered at the Panthéon on July 1, this lecture looks back on Jean Monnet’s career and methodology, but above all on what his approach can still teach us in today’s European context. Da Empoli highlights, in particular, a method based on three elements: an ambitious vision, the ability to identify in every situation the specific lever capable of setting a dynamic in motion, and unwavering determination in execution.
This relevance of Monnet’s ideas was also noted by Jessica Larson, deputy director of the European Commission’s Representation in France, who shared her take on the lecture on LinkedIn. She emphasizes in particular that, “in a world marked by crises, tensions, and uncertainties,” revisiting Monnet’s work helps restore “a sense of clarity”: that of a Europe being built in concrete terms through action, solidarity, and the determination to overcome divisions.
This line of thought invites us to view Monnet’s legacy not merely as that of a “founding father,” but as a method for thinking about and building Europe in the face of today’s challenges.
Credits: Jessica Larson – LinkedIn
