The “empty chair” crisis in the Spanish press, 1965-1966

Abstract

This article analyzes the vision of the Francoist Spain on the so-called “empty chair crisis”, a serious political and institutional conflict that disturbed the European Economic Community for seven months, between 30th June 1965 and 30th January 1966 and which ended with the signing of the Luxembourg Compromise, which partially limited the supranational ambitions of the Hallstein Commission and the Treaties of Rome.
The positions adopted by the Francoist government and the newspapers will confirm the existence in Spain of two essential ideas of Europe at the time, two visions largely opposed about the form that should take the Europe of the future and its institutions. On the one hand, the supporters of the progressive integration following a federal model and therefore of the demanding application of the letter and the spirit of the Treaties of Rome,
well represented by monarchical newspapers like ABC or La Vanguardia Española. On the other hand, the advocates of a Europe of nations, in which the nation-states would maintain intact their sovereignty, and which clearly influenced the Falangist press.