The meaning of Maastricht

When the treaty of Maastricht was signed in December 1991 by the twelve member states of the European Community, it was hailed as the tool with which economic union would be expanded to political union, the dream of Jean Monnet and his friends when they laid the groundwork for the European Economic Community in Rome in 1957. And indeed, the Treaty of Maastricht features all the provisions necessary to achieve political, economic and monetary union by the year 2000.