Cartoon by Hanel on the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities (25 February 1984)

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‘Please wait …’ On 25 February 1984, German cartoonist Walter Hanel paints an ironic picture of the slow pace of the process for accession to the European Communities of Spain and Portugal, and illustrates the reservations of France, the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the United Kingdom concerning the forthcoming enlargement. From left to right: Felipe González, Spanish Prime Minister, wearing rags and carrying a basket of fruit and vegetables, sits in driving rain with his Portuguese counterpart, the two waiting to be granted access to the ‘House of Europe’, an austere, run-down building that looks to be falling into ruins. French President François Mitterrand, standing at the entrance, indicates to the two candidates that they must wait, but the wait seems to be going on forever. German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher observe the scene discreetly, hidden behind a pillar, while Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister, follows events from the top of a tower adorned with the Union Jack.

Source and copyright

Source: HANEL, Walter. "Bitte warten." dans Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Zeitung für Deutschland. Frankfurt/Main: FAZ Verlag GmbH. 25.02.1984, n° 48, p.3.

Copyright: (c) Hanel

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Cartoon by Hanel on the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Communities (25 February 1984)