I regarded it as the embodiment of an open society – a voluntary association of sovereign states that were willing to give up part of their sovereignty for the common good. They shared a common history, in which the French Revolution, with its slogan of liberty, equality, and fraternity, left a lasting legacy.
当还停留在美好愿望的时候，欧盟这个有诱惑力的想法激发了包括我在内很多人的想象力。我将其视为开放社会的化身——主权国家联盟为追求共同利益自愿放弃部分主权组合在一起。它们拥有共同的历史，法国大革命自由、平等、博爱的口号留下了不可磨灭的传统。以大革命传统为基础，各会员国不受任何国家或民族的控制，在平等的基础上缔结联盟。