Successful diplomatic treaties are often not so much about shaping the future as they are about surmounting the past.
The Peace of Westphalia, which in 1648 put an end to the European wars of religion, spelled out "that all that has pass'd on the one side, and the other, as well before as during the War, in Words, Writings, and Outrageous Actions... shall be entirely abolish'd in such a manner that all that might be demanded... on that behalf, shall be bury'd in eternal Oblivion."
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Already a member? Login hereVincent Stuer is a Belgian writer and playwright, and former speechwriter to European commission president José Manuel Barroso.
Vincent Stuer is a Belgian writer and playwright, and former speechwriter to European commission president José Manuel Barroso.