Il primo allargamento e l’evoluzione del dibattito parlamentare europeo sui rapporti CEE-Africa subsahariana. I conservatori britannici e Lomé (1973-1983)

Following the first enlargement of the European Economic Community, the European Parliament welcomed eighteen British Conservative deputies. The inclusion of representatives from a former colonial power inevitably enriched the debate on development cooperation by introducing new perspectives. Within the institutional framework of the Yaoundé and Lomé Conventions, this article examines the guiding principles of British Conservative MEPs’ actions between 1973 and 1983. It also evaluates whether the enlargement of the European Par- liament fostered a more substantive discussion of the colonial past shared by the United Kingdom and four of the EEC’s founding Member States. The findings indicate that British Conservatives actively contributed to debates regarding the evolution of relations with sub-Saharan Africa, introducing original themes and methods rooted in a longstanding tradition of parliamentarianism. Moreover, through engagement with other political groups and African representatives, they at times developed independent positions that diverged from the domestic Conservative leadership. Nevertheless, British Conservatives retained internalised stereotypes and imperial perspectives, as evidenced by contradictions and ambi- guities in rhetoric. Consequently, consistent with broader parliamentary dynamics, the first enlargement did not facilitate a discussion of a shared colonial amnesia.