The immense cruelties and sufferings of the Second World War had a traumatic impact on the psychology of post-war generations, as was discussed in the previous chapters, but there were additional repercussions. On a political level, it also foregrounded the need for a stronger and more unified Europe. In 1952, six European countries (France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, West Germany and Italy) formed the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The aim was to make any new war between European countries (especially between France and Germany) ‘not only unthinkable but materially impossible.’ Creating a safe and economically integrated Europe would become the first step. In 1957, the ECSC was extended with the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom). The ECSC, EEC and EAEC are the three pillars that form the basis of the European Community. In 1973, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Ireland joined as member states, followed in the 1980s by Greece, Spain and Portugal. In 1998, Europe became a monetary union with the establishment of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the introduction of the Euro as common currency among member states that joined the Eurozone in 2001. At the time of writing in 2015, the European Union consists of 28 member countries and has become an increasingly complex organization. In some national parliaments and populations Euroscepticism has become an important political voice, and the extension of supranational forms of government is debated. Nevertheless, the ideals and aims of the European Union for a stable, sustainable and peaceful Europe remain more important than ever. While many policies or treaties have had unexpected complications and consequences, some of which will be addressed in this chapter, and while the risk of a supranational institution turning in to a too powerful super state is not purely imaginary, it is important to continuously re-evaluate the idea of Europe in a globalized and hyper capitalist world with quickly changing balances of power.

In 1969, Louis van Gasteren founded the production company Euro Television Productions to make programmes in and about the European Community. Conscious of the fact that, at the time, many people were mainly informed by means of television, as a creator of images he felt it was his duty to take responsibility as a European citizen, entering into dialogue with fellow citizens about the intricate questions of the European communities.