The Fouchet negotiations for political union and the British application

In order to understand fully the reasons for the failure of the first British application to join the European Communities, it is necessary to bear in mind that it followed the collapse of the plan for a Union of States of General de Gaulle which preceded it. While the Brussels negotiations concentrated on the economic level, a crucial role in the fate of the negotiations was played by the underlying political factors. These factors had become apparent in the course of negotiations over the Union of States. ¹