Why was Europe’s attempt at EMU successful? European integration is to a large degree a political process, which has its roots in the two world wars and the devastation they caused. The Second World War proved to be a real trauma for Europe's political leaders.
The Schuman Declaration of May 1950, which laid the foundations for the European Coal and Steel Community, stated clearly that "solidarity in production will make it plain that any war between France and Germany becomes not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible". So, the memory of the two wars made for a very strong political will to further European integration.