In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, recalls the origins of his European commitment and of his hopes for European revival and Franco-German reconciliation. He also discusses the importance of working actively in favour of Europe at various levels.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, discusses the political and technical reasons for the establishment of the State Secretariat for European Affairs in 1979, in particular Valéry Giscard d’Estaing’s interest in European integration and the French Presidency of the Council of the European Communities. He also refers to the impact of this Secretariat, noting the Gaullist influence in the Presidential majority at that time.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, describes the establishment and the workings of the State Secretariat for European Affairs. He also emphasises the difficulties involved in taking action from within the political system owing to the clearly defined hierarchy and the delicate position of the Secretariat within the government. Nevertheless, he mentions his involvement in the renegotiations on the Lomé Convention.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, recalls the meetings of the European Council of Ministers, emphasising the personal ties between the various individuals and emphasising his belief in the importance of European integration.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, describes the scope of the commitment and work of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Raymond Barre and Helmut Schmidt with regard to the establishment of the European Monetary System, a vital stage in progress towards the single currency.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, discusses the fundamental nature of Franco-German reconciliation and its driving role in the European integration process in dismissing both the nationalism and the imperialism that prevailed prior to this reconciliation.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, describes Franco-British relations during the renegotiation of the Lomé Convention and emphasises the convergence between British and French views on this issue.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981 and Member of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1986 and from 1989 to 1999, recalls the European policy of François Mitterrand, which he considers positive overall, and stresses the role of Jacques Delors in the European Commission. However, he emphasises the timorous position of the former French President regarding the reunification of Germany and the accession of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe into the European Community.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981 and Senator for the Hautes-Alpes département from 2007 to 2014, gives a brief summary of the European career of Jacques Chirac, from the ‘Call of Cochin’ to his tenure as French President and his commitment to European affairs.

In this extract, Pierre Bernard-Reymond, State Secretary for European Affairs in the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981 and Senator for the Hautes-Alpes département since 2007, discusses how Europe represents an almost exclusively financial interest for local and regional authorities, but goes on to mention the benefits of town twinning at local level.