A renewed future for Europe’s meeting place

The European Parliament is ensuring that this historic birthplace of European integration continues to hold an important role in Europe’s future. Between 2012 and 2022 the building underwent many transformations, with work undertaken to expand the conference room and transform the park surrounding the house to create a space where citizens can meet and explore Monnet’s life and ideas.

A row of blue and white information boards leads to a house (Jean Monnet House) in the background.

The house now welcomes a wide range of visitors from across Europe and beyond, who enjoy this enriching educational experience in Houjarray’s unique setting. Several thousand people arrive every year for guided tours, educational activities, conferences, thematic workshops and research seminars, whilst cooperation agreement with the Île-de-France Region is creating partnerships with schools and young people. The House also welcomes guests from around the world through the European Union Visitors Programme.

A group of people facing the camera, standing on the grass in front of a pale house with light blue shutters.

In 2013, the French Ministry of Culture awarded the Jean Monnet House the label of ‘Maison des Illustres’, a title reserved for places which preserve and transmit the memory of important personalities. The house’s museum explores Monnet’s vital contribution to the construction of a united Europe, as well as giving glimpses into his private life. The interactive exhibition presents Monnet’s character and journey in its historical context, allowing visitors to explore the crucial concepts of European identity and unity in the very place where they were created. The museum’s multimedia activities also explore Monnet’s relevance to our modern society, showing how Jean Monnet has shaped the Europe we know today and how the institutions of the European Union influence the daily lives of citizens.

A group of people in business attire are facing the camera, standing on wide steps. In the background is a slope of a thatched roof.

The Jean Monnet House is part of the European Parliament Network of Houses and Political Foundations of Great Europeans, which aims to develop exchanges and cooperation, particularly in the field of relations with citizens. Under the leadership of the European Parliament, the venue helps to give value of the memory of a common political history. In January 2020 the respective Presidents of the European Parliament, the European Council, and the European Commission all met in Houjarray to reflect on Europe's future challenges, its place in the world, and the EU's climate and digital ambitions. A new guesthouse makes the location a ‘Camp David’ for the European Parliament, where key leaders can meet and debate in the birthplace of European unity.

Four men in suits sitting at the conference table. There are microphones, name cards, glasses of water and papers in front of them. Behind them, there is a similar table with three people sitting. In the background, there is a poster with the phrase: "Jean Monnet dialogue".

Houjarray has also become the seat of the Jean Monnet Academy, which provides various vocational training programmes for the European Parliament’s staff to help them better serve the European public. In addition to meetings of the Bureau of the European Parliament, the Jean Monnet House hosts international scientific conferences within the framework of Jean Monnet seminars. It also organises meetings within the framework of the Jean Monnet Dialogue for Peace and Democracy to provide answers to situations of political tension in countries such as Ukraine, Serbia and North Macedonia. These important dialogues are conducted according to the principles that defined how Jean Monnet himself worked: pragmatism, concrete action and focus on dialogue in order to achieve results by consensus.

A group of people sitting outdoors with their back to the camera. In the centre, two men are facing the group. One is pointing to a flipchart between the two of them. In the background, there are trees and a house with a sloping roof (Jean Monnet House).

All of these initiatives are working with the same objective: to maintain the Jean Monnet House as a place of memory, meetings and inspiration where the European idea is embodied and where citizens can learn about the history, the functioning and the challenges of the European Union. Thanks to the Parliament, the Houjarray house is now preserved for future generations as a place of education, connection and mediation, spreading Monnet’s core values of peace and solidarity with citizens across Europe.

A group of people in business attire are sitting at rectangular conference tables. The tables are covered with a blue tablecloth and placed up against each other to create a large rectangular table with a hollow centre. On the table, there are microphones, glasses of water, sheets of paper and name tags. In the centre, on the floor, there is a big vase with flower arrangement.