In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes the circumstances surrounding his appointment as diplomatic adviser to Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes the role played by the French Prime Minister in international affairs, particularly with regard to financial questions.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes the relations between the diplomatic adviser to the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the Republic and the Foreign Ministry.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, discusses the establishment of the State Secretariat for European Affairs in 1978.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, former French diplomat and diplomatic adviser to Georges Pompidou and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, describes how the role of the French Foreign Minister has changed since 1958, particularly with regard to European affairs.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes the close relations between France and Germany during the presidential term of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, recalls the convening of the Paris Summit in December 1974 and describes how the European Council was established as a result of this Summit.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, First Counsellor at the French Embassy in London from 1972 to 1973 then technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes the British and Danish reaction and the debates in France following the French proposal in 1974 to elect the European Parliament by universal suffrage.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes France's position on issues relating to institutional balance and the separation of powers within the Community system, and recalls his reservations concerning the ‘Tindemans Report' that was published in December 1975.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes the particular context in which Valéry Giscard d’Estaing convened the first summit between the world’s six leading industrialised nations in November 1975.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes the difficulties he experienced in the exercise of his functions as a result of the very direct relations and summit discussions between Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and Helmut Schmidt.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, recalls the reaction of President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing to the ‘Call of Cochin’ by Jacques Chirac in December 1978, in which Chirac criticised the federalist tendencies of the European integration process, shortly before the first elections to the European Parliament by universal suffrage, which were strongly supported by the French President.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979 and Director of Political Affairs at the Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, discusses how Valéry Giscard d’Estaing’s views on European integration developed over time.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, Director of Political Affairs at the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, describes the reaction in political circles to the prospect of Greece’s accession to the European Communities in January 1981.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, Director of Political Affairs at the French Foreign Ministry from 1979 to 1981, describes the differences between his geopolitical views and those of Jean François-Poncet, the then Foreign Minister in the Raymond Barre Government.

In this interview excerpt, Gabriel Robin, technical adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the French Republic from 1973 to 1979, describes relations between France and the German Democratic Republic given the close relationship between Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and the leader of the Federal Republic of Germany, Helmut Schmidt.