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Georges Berthoin, a surviving member of the European coal and steel commission cabinet, has revealed the initial idea of the EU was to create a closer union. The cabinet was the first step towards a federation of Europe and set up in 1952. But the EU was set up as the European Economic Community in 1957 and seen as a trade agreement between countries in the continent. But Mr Berthoin has revealed the long-term plan was to create a state resembling the US. He told Newsnight: "The dream was to make peace among Europe countries, stable and credible and another element of prosperity, to modernise Europe.

BBC Georges Berthoin claimed founders wanted to create a united states of Europe

"We were looking at the example of US, especially the size of the market." Britain joined the EU in 1973 and now faces a referendum on June 23 to determine its membership. Mr Berthoin added: "The first step towards European federation, we thought we were going to start something and achieve a political development within 10 years."

The 90-year-old civil servant had hoped to create a united states of Europe to "change European history". He said: "We thought we were in a position to change European history, at that time we had the backing of public opinion, because the tragedy of the war was in everybody's personal history. "I used the expression, we wanted a United States of Europe."

GETTY Berthoin hoped to create European history with the EU

BBC Berthoin was part of the uropean coal and steel commission cabinet in the 1950s

I used the expression, we wanted a united states of Europe Georges Berthoin

It comes as it was revealed plans for a United States of Europe were drawn up in a bid to give Brussels bureaucrats an iron grip over the continent, it has been revealed. In a direct challenge to David Cameron’s claims of British sovereignty, Germany, France, Italy and Luxembourg signed a document last September in Rome calling for the creation of a “general union of states”, which has only now come to light.



The further integrated union would not only take a central hold over economic and fiscal matters, as well as internal markets, but would also include social and cultural affairs and foreign, security and defence policy of member states.

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