’Travail et Progrès’: Obligatory ‘Educational’ Labour in the Belgian Congo, 1933-1960

in Journal of Contemporary History (2018), 53(2), 292-314

The authorities of the Belgian Congo imposed a series of compulsory workloads to the local communities under the argument that these tasks contributed to the ‘education’ of the native populations, which ... [more ▼]

The authorities of the Belgian Congo imposed a series of compulsory workloads to the local communities under the argument that these tasks contributed to the ‘education’ of the native populations, which they called ‘Travaux d’ordre e´ducatif’ (TOE). Such workloads represented the main legal form of forced labour which existed in the Belgian Congo from their creation in 1933 until independence in 1960. Unlike what happened in most colonial empires, these workloads were not abolished after the Second World War. This article shows, through the case study of the province of Equateur, how these workloads were conceived and organized by the Belgian colonial administration. It seeks an answer to the question of why this form of forced labour remained legal in Congo until its independence. [less ▲]

Facing the Greek Junta (1967-1974): The Council of Europe, the European Community, and the Rise of Human Rights Politics

in European Review of History (2017), 24(3), 358-376

In April 1967, a group of colonels seized power in Greece. Since Greece was a member-state of the Council of Europe and held an association agreement with the European Community, both organizations had to ... [more ▼]

In April 1967, a group of colonels seized power in Greece. Since Greece was a member-state of the Council of Europe and held an association agreement with the European Community, both organizations had to define their positions vis-à-vis the new military regime. Very soon, politicians in the parliamentary assemblies of both organizations started to cooperate with the aim of imposing sanctions on Greece. This article examines the inter-organizational dynamics between the European Community and the Council of Europe on Greece during the colonels’ regime. It argues that the European Community imported concrete policy positions and even normative ideas which had first emerged in the Council of Europe. In so doing, the Community prepared the ground for its future human-rights policies. [less ▲]

La Communauté de Sant'Egidio et le Mozambique (1980-1990). Une diplomatie parallèle à la fin de la guerre froide ?

in Forum Romanum Belgicum (2015), 10

La CEE face à l'Espagne franquiste. De la mémoire de la guerre civile à la construction politique de l'Europe

in Vingtième Siècle (2010)

Dans les années 1960, dans un contexte d’ouverture économique et de réformes politiques, l’Espagne de Franco cherche à se rapprocher de la Communauté économique européenne. L’auteur montre comment le ... [more ▼]

Dans les années 1960, dans un contexte d’ouverture économique et de réformes politiques, l’Espagne de Franco cherche à se rapprocher de la Communauté économique européenne. L’auteur montre comment le traitement de la demande espagnole par la CEE se fait en fonction d’interprétations forgées vingt ans plus tôt, pendant la guerre civile espagnole et la Seconde Guerre mondiale. La question de l’association de l’Espagne à la CEE provoque le premier grand rassemblement des forces antifranquistes depuis la guerre ; elle marque une étape dans la construction politique de la Communauté européenne. [less ▲]