Going Around De Gaulle

The one job in Europe that practically no one seems to want is the presidency of the European Economic Community. After the French last year forced Germany's indomitable Walter Hallstein, president for nine years, to resign over policy differences with them, two of the leading candidates for the top job turned it down flat, and Charles de Gaulle vetoed a third. Who, after all, wanted to tangle with the French? Finally, almost by default, the job went to a diminutive and quiet-spoken Belgian, Jean Rey, the Common Market's Commissioner for Foreign Affairs. Since Rey's chief qualification at the time seemed to be that he was the only candidate De Gaulle would accept, the Common Market partners feared that he might prove to be merely a puppet for De Gaulle's disruptive ambitions.

To their relief, they have been proved wrong. Rey may lack the imperious stubbornness that brought Hallstein to grief, but he has firmly established himself as master of his house. By delegating more authority than Hallstein, he has transformed the once dispirited commission that serves as the Common Market's Cabinet into a sound and cohesive team. He has repaired the disarray left by Hallstein's pitched battles with De Gaulle, showing that he is willing to compromise with the French without kowtowing to them. Through it all, with a judicious mixture of courage and pragmatism, he has revivified the Common Market as the independent, outward-looking organization its creators intended it to be. This week, to De Gaulle's considerable consternation, Rey flies to Washington to discuss closer cooperation between the Common Market and the U.S.

The Federalist. Rey, 65, has been in the business of building Europe since the end of World War II. As Belgian Minister for Reconstruction, he was one of the earliest supporters of the Schuman Plan, which led to the European Coal and Steel Community. As Minister of Economic Affairs, he helped found the Common Market, becoming one of its nine original commissioners in 1958. Like most dedicated Eurocrats, he wants a Europe united politically as well as economically. But Rey has no intention of turning the Market into the French-dominated society expounded by De Gaulle. His model, rather, is the early formation of the United States--so much so that he keeps a bound volume of The Federalist Papers handy on his desk. "I am," he says, "a European Federalist." He is also an amateur musician (violin, piano and organ) and fluent linguist (five languages) who refuses to sing De Gaulle's tune.

Though he has sought to serve as a peacemaker, Rey strongly opposes De Gaulle's intransigence in rejecting Britain's entry into the Common Market. In a thoughtful 108-page document, he and his 13-man commission last fall proposed negotiations aimed at allowing Britain to join, although slowly and on terms more acceptable to the Six than to the British. Though the French vetoed the idea, Rey remains determined. Rather than confront De Gaulle directly, as Hallstein used to do, he intends to look for a way around him. "The community must be enlarged," he said last week. "It is very likely that we will finid a compromise solution within the next few months. Before Easter, we will come up with something." Sooner or later, Jean Rey is convinced Britain will get in.

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