On 17 January 1966, the Dutch delegation arrives in Luxembourg for an Extraordinary Council of the Six with the aim of reaching a solution to bring an end to the empty chair crisis, which has been paralysing the Community institutions for six months. On the left, Dutch Foreign Minister Joseph Luns.

On 17 and 18 January 1966, during the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Six in Luxembourg, Maurice Couve de Murville, French Foreign Minister, submits to his European partners a document including 10 suggestions, known as the ‘decalogue’, concerning the role of the European Commission and its relations with the Council.

On 19 January 1966, Émile Noël, Executive Secretary of the Commission of the European Economic Community (EEC), informs the Members of the Commission of the substance of the debates between the Foreign Ministers of the Six at the first meeting of the Luxembourg Extraordinary Council, held on 17 and 18 January in order to resolve the empty chair crisis.

On 20 January 1966, the Commission of the European Economic Community (EEC) draws up a note which gives an account of the course and the substance of the debates between the Foreign Ministers of the Six during the first meeting of the Luxembourg Extraordinary Council, held on 17 and 18 January in order to find a political compromise which could bring the empty chair crisis to a positive conclusion.

On 25 January 1966, Pierre Pescatore, Secretary-General of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assesses the deliberations of the Extraordinary Council of the European Communities, held on 17 and 18 January 1966, during which the Foreign Ministers of the Six, meeting in Luxembourg, considered the possibilities of reaching a political compromise which might put an end to the empty chair crisis.

At the meetings held in Luxembourg on 17–18 and 28–29 January 1966, Pierre Werner, Luxembourg Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the Council, proposes a compromise solution to end the ‘empty chair’ crisis.

On 18 January 1966, France takes part in the extraordinary Council meeting held in Luxembourg with a view to ending the empty chair crisis. Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian Foreign Minister, extends a warm welcome to his French counterpart, Maurice Couve de Murville.

Maurice Couve de Murville, Foreign Minister under General de Gaulle from 1958 to 1968.

On 17 and 18 January 1966, the Foreign Ministers of the Six meet in Luxembourg for an Extraordinary Council to try to reach a political compromise that will provide a favourable outcome to the empty chair crisis. In the centre, Belgian Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak at the Luxembourg meeting.

On 27 January 1966, Émile Noël, Executive Secretary of the Commission of the European Economic Community (EEC), informs the Members of the Commission of the nature of the debates within the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) of the Six, meeting in Luxembourg on 26 and 27 January in order to find a political solution to the empty chair crisis.

On 28 January 1966, Émile Noël, Executive Secretary of the Commission of the European Economic Community (EEC), informs the Members of the Commission of the substance of the debates between the Foreign Ministers of the Six during the second meeting of the Luxembourg Extraordinary Council, held on 28 and 29 January in order to resolve the empty chair crisis.

On 28 January 1966, the second session of the Luxembourg Extraordinary Council begins, chaired by Pierre Werner, Luxembourg Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. The aim of the meeting is to find a solution to the ‘empty chair’ crisis, which has been paralysing Community operations for six months. The photo shows Christian Calmes (on the right), Secretary-General of the Council, speaking to chairman Pierre Werner (on the left). On 29 January 1966, a compromise is eventually reached, breaking the deadlock in the Community institutions.

On 28 January 1966, Gerhard Schröder (centre), Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, speaks to the press at the second meeting of the Luxembourg Extraordinary Council. The following day, 29 January, the Six reach a political compromise on the basis of which France agrees to return to its seat in the Council so that the Community can resume its normal internal and external activities.

On 29 January 1966, in Luxembourg, the Six reach a political compromise, as a result of which France agrees to resume its seat in the Council so that the Community may resume its normal activities in the areas of internal and external policy.

On 29 January 1966, after an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Six in Luxembourg, chaired by Pierre Werner, a press release is issued on the decisions taken on future relations between the Council and the European Commission with a view to bringing an end to the empty chair crisis which has paralysed Community operations since the breakdown of negotiations on the night of 30 June 1965.

‘Seconds out, round two!’ On 29 January 1966, commenting on the extraordinary Council meeting being held in Luxembourg under the Presidency of Pierre Werner, Luxembourg Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, German cartoonist Stig portrays the trial of strength between France and its five European partners in their attempts to resolve the ‘empty chair’ crisis which has crippled the operation of the Community over the past six months. In the ring, German Federal Foreign Minister Gerhard Schröder (on the left) and his French counterpart Maurice Couve de Murville (on the right).

On 30 January 1966, Émile Noël, Executive Secretary of the Commission of the European Economic Community (EEC), informs the Members of the Commission of the decisions taken by the Foreign Ministers of the Six during the second meeting of the Luxembourg Extraordinary Council, held on 28 and 29 January in order to resolve the empty chair crisis.

On 29 January 1966, following the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Six in Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Pierre Werner, describes the impact of the political compromise that put an end to the empty chair crisis which, for six months, had seen France boycotting intergovernmental meetings of Community bodies in Brussels.

The Extraordinary EEC Council of Ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on 17 and 18 and on 28 and 29 January 1966, heeds France’s calls for the implementation of the majority voting rule and the role of the European Commission. The ‘Luxembourg Compromise’ reached by the Council brings to an end the ‘empty chair crisis’ prevailing since 30 June 1965.

‘The return of the prodigal son.’ In January 1966, the German cartoonist Köhler portrays the end of the empty chair crisis and the decision of France, under General Charles de Gaulle, to resume its seat in the Council of the European Economic Community (EEC) following the Luxembourg Compromise of 29 and 30 January.

‘Free at last!’ On 1 February 1966, the Austrian Socialist daily newspaper Arbeiter-Zeitung illustrates the Luxembourg Compromise which puts an end to the empty chair crisis and the paralysis of the European Economic Community (EEC) following the temporary boycott by France.

On 9 March 1966, Ludwig Metzger, Vice-President of the European Parliament, presents to his colleagues the conclusions of a report drawn up by the Political Affairs Committee on the Luxembourg Compromise, which put an end to the empty chair crisis that had begun on 30 June 1965.

On 9 March 1966, the European Parliament adopts a resolution setting out its official stance on the Luxembourg Compromise which, on 29 January, put an end to the empty chair crisis that had begun on 30 June 1965.

In this interview, Pierre Pescatore, former Secretary-General of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outlines Luxembourg’s position on the empty chair crisis and defines the nature and the political implications of the Luxembourg Compromise.

On 31 January 1966, Rolf Lahr, Junior Minister in the Foreign Ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), presents the opinion of the Federal Government on the outcome of the extraordinary Council meeting held on 28 and 29 January in Luxembourg, at the end of which the Six reached a political compromise which ended the empty chair crisis.

On 19 January 1966, the German daily newspaper the Süddeutsche Zeitung wonders about the nature of a political compromise which the Six might adopt at an extraordinary Council meeting at Luxembourg with a view to ending the empty chair crisis.

On 19 January 1966, the German daily newspaper the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung comments on the debates between the representatives of the Six during the first extraordinary Council in Luxembourg which seeks to put an end to the empty chair crisis.

On 20 January 1966, the East German newspaper Neues Deutschland analyses the proposals put forward by France during the first extraordinary meeting of the Council on 17 and 18 January in Luxembourg with a view to putting an end to the empty chair crisis.

On 31 January 1966, the German daily newspaper Die Welt comments on the political results achieved by the Six following the second extraordinary Council meeting in Luxembourg.

On 31 January 1966, the Bavarian daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung measures the impact of the Luxembourg institutional compromise and shows why it is in France’s interests to remain a Member of the European Common Market.

On 19 January 1966, the Catholic daily newspaper La Libre Belgique gives an account of the first meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Six, held in Luxembourg on 17 and 18 January in order to find a solution to the empty chair crisis.

On 20 January 1966, commenting on the first meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Six, held in Luxembourg on 17 and 18 January, and with a view to their decisive meeting to be held on 28 and 29 January, the Catholic daily newspaper La Libre Belgique outlines the Ministers’ respective positions and considers the possible means of reaching a political compromise to resolve the empty chair crisis.

On 20 January 1966, in Strasbourg, participating in an exchange of views between the Community institutions on the empty chair crisis and on the ways of resolving it, Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian Foreign Minister, outlines Belgium’s position in this affair and takes into account the political efforts of the Foreign Ministers of the Six during their first meeting, held in Luxembourg on 17 and 18 January.

In May 1966, in the French quarterly newspaper Le 20e siècle fédéraliste, Paul-Henri Spaak, Socialist MP and former Belgian Foreign Minister, recalls several rounds of European diplomatic negotiations and dwells, in particular, on France’s attitude to the developments in the ‘empty chair crisis’ and on the adoption of the Luxembourg Compromise in January 1966.

On 18 January 1966, following the empty chair crisis, which lasted for more than six months, the French delegation, led by French Foreign Minister Maurice Couve de Murville (centre), participates in the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Six in Luxembourg.

On 20 January 1966, the day after the first extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Six in Luxembourg, the French conservative daily newspaper Le Figaro comments on the responsibilities of each of them in the outbreak of the empty chair crisis on the night of 30 June 1965 and speculates as to whether there is any likelihood of a political compromise being reached which would save the Community spirit.

On 1 February 1966, the French daily newspaper Le Monde comments on the substance and the impact of the political ‘compromise’ which was adopted by the Six, in Luxembourg, on 28 and 29 January 1966, and put an end to the empty chair crisis.

In February 1966, the French monthly magazine Le Monde diplomatique warmly welcomes the ‘Luxembourg Compromise’ which ended the empty chair crisis on 29 January 1966.

On 21 February 1966, General de Gaulle holds a press conference during which he describes the impact of the Luxembourg Compromise and reiterates France’s political objectives.

On 20 January 1966, Gaetano Martino, former President of the European Parliament, comments on the French proposals put forward in Luxembourg relating to the role of the European Commission and its relationship with the Council as a condition for its return to the Council.

On 20 January 1966, the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera leads with the difficult political negotiations taking place in Luxembourg designed to put an end to what is known as the ‘empty chair’ crisis that has divided the Six since 30 June 1965.

On 31 January 1966, the daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort comments on the impact of the institutional compromise reached in Luxembourg on 29 January 1966, ending the empty chair crisis.

On 31 January 1966, the British daily newspaper The Guardian does not pull any punches with regard to the impact of the Luxembourg Compromise.

Dans ses Mémoires, Paul-Henri Spaak, ancien ministre belge des Affaires étrangères, pointe les origines politiques et institutionnelles de la crise de la chaise vide de 1965 et décrit le déroulement des négociations diplomatiques ayant permis, le 29 janvier 1966 à Luxembourg, d'atteindre un compromis politique pour mettre fin à la crise communautaire.

In his memoirs, Pierre Werner, former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, recalls the course of the negotiations which, in January 1966, led to the Luxembourg institutional compromise that enabled the empty chair crisis to be brought to an end.

In his memoirs, Robert Marjolin, former Vice-President of the Commission of the European Economic Community, recalls the origins of the empty chair crisis and evaluates the scope of the Luxembourg Compromise which put an end to the crisis in January 1965.

In this interview, Étienne Davignon, Head of Cabinet of the Belgian Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak, from 1964 to 1966, considers at length the negotiations between the Member States of the European Communities that led to the ‘Luxembourg Compromise’ on 29 January 1966, which put an end to the empty chair crisis that had begun on 30 June 1965.

In this interview, Étienne Davignon, Head of Cabinet of the Belgian Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak, from 1964 to 1966, considers the scope and identifies the weaknesses of the institutional compromise secured in Luxembourg on 29 January 1966 which put an end to the empty chair crisis.

In this interview, Étienne Davignon, Head of Cabinet of the Belgian Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak, from 1964 to 1966, considers the role played by Paul-Henri Spaak in the resolution of the empty chair crisis.

In this interview, Étienne Davignon, Head of Cabinet of the Belgian Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak, from 1964 to 1966, describes the disappointment felt by the European Commission following the institutional compromise accepted by the Six in Luxembourg on 29 January 1966.