In memoriam André Poulin (1954–2024)

The former Co-President of Paneuropa Switzerland and former member of the Presidency Council, Treasurer and Secretary General of the International Pan-European Union André Poulin died on 7 March 2024 in Geneva at the age of 70.

The funeral took place on Friday 19 April 2024 in the Camoletti chapel of the Saint-Georges cemetery in Geneva. The ceremony was followed by a reception.

Secretary General Pavo Barišić wrote the following obituary.

Obituary

André Poulin was born in Paris on 22 June 1954. His father's name was Guido Poulin. He founded the Geneva section of the Pan-European Youth of Switzerland in 1933. His mother's name was Nathalie, née Yeremiyewa, and she was of Ukrainian origin.

Together with Marco Pons, André Poulin re-founded Pan-Europe Switzerland in November 1994. This was just a few months after the first successful Coudenhove-Kalergi meeting in Gstaad. Over the years, André Poulin and Marco Pons have jointly organised five Gstaad meetings devoted to Coudenhove-Kalergi.

André Poulin worked with the Swiss Pan-Europeans to save Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi's grave in Gruben near Gstaad, where his first two wives are also buried. The local authorities wanted to bury him in a mass grave.

He contributed to the preparation and publication of the French translation of Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi's seminal book Paneuropa. Faced with the difficulties of preserving the Paneuropa Suisse archives in Geneva, André Poulin was kind enough to store them in his house in Wissous, a suburb of Paris. The archive contains several cubic metres of documents.

André Poulin was a member of the Presidency Council of the International Pan-European Union. On 23 January 2010, he was elected Deputy Secretary General of the International Pan-European Union. He later took on the duty of Treasurer and Secretary General of the International Pan-European Union until 2015. Through his work, he endeavoured to make the work of the International Pan-European Union more visible and made a significant contribution to this. He took part in numerous Pan-European meetings and events and contributed to a pleasant atmosphere and impact with his positive energy and optimism.

Commenting on the late Paneuropean friend, President Alain Terrenoire wrote:

"André was amicably and unanimously appreciated within the Pan-European Union for the quality, loyalty, sincerity and generosity of his commitment."

Pavo Barišić, Secretary General