European Coalition for Psychoanalysis
| European Coalition for Psychoanalysis | |
|---|---|
| Organization details | |
| Type | Federation of psychoanalytic schools |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder(s) | European School of Psychoanalysis (ESP) members |
| Key figures | Jacques-Alain Miller |
| Orientation | Lacanian |
| Institutional context | |
| Predecessor | European School of Psychoanalysis (ESP); European Federation of Schools of Psychoanalysis (FEEP) |
| Affiliation | World Association of Psychoanalysis (WAP) |
| Relation to IPA | Independent |
| Operations | |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
| Geographic scope | Europe |
| Training function | The Pass; Cartels; Seminars |
The European Coalition for Psychoanalysis (ECP; French: EuroFédération de Psychanalyse, EFP) is a Lacanian psychoanalytic federation founded in 2010, coordinating schools affiliated with the World Association of Psychoanalysis (WAP) across Europe.[1] It emphasizes political engagement against evaluation ideologies in mental health policy and supports transmission through devices such as the pass and cartels.[1] Distinct from IPA-affiliated groups like the European Psychoanalytical Federation, the ECP represents a post-École Freudienne de Paris (EFP) Lacanian tradition, fostering a "European work community" beyond national or linguistic boundaries.[1][2]
History
Precursors and Origins
The ECP traces its roots to the European School of Psychoanalysis (ESP), created in 1990 as the "European Other" of the École de la Cause Freudienne (ECF), anticipating the WAP's founding in 1992.[1] The ESP united Lacanian-oriented groups across Europe and beyond, responding to the fragmented legacy of Jacques Lacan's 1980 dissolution of the École Freudienne de Paris, which spawned over 20 associations including the ECF.[2]
In 2008, the ESP transformed into the European Federation of Schools of Psychoanalysis (FEEP), incorporating the ECF to combat EU health policies and coordinate WAP schools on training issues like the pass.[1]
Founding (2010)
The ECP emerged in June 2010 from a meeting with Jacques-Alain Miller ahead of PIPOL 5 in Brussels, reconfiguring the FEEP to address "external" political threats to psychoanalysis and "internal" institutional dynamics.[1] This shift empowered the "Generation Forum"—newcomers committed politically to the ECF—while upholding Lacan's principle of "demassification of the enunciation."[1]
Organizational Structure
The ECP structures a pre-existing European Lacanian community into a symbolically coherent entity, transcending national, school, or linguistic limits without hierarchical centralization.[1] It employs Lacanian devices like cartels over traditional boards, avoiding the "hierarchies" critiqued in earlier schools such as the École Freudienne de Paris.[2]
Governance
Governance prioritizes collective political action and transmission, with coordination among WAP schools (e.g., ECF) rather than a fixed directorate.[1] It functions as a "European signifier of psychoanalysis," facilitating exchanges and EU advocacy.[1]
Membership Categories
Membership draws from WAP schools, emphasizing authorization via the pass rather than formal hierarchies. Categories align with Lacanian grades: Analyst Member of the School (AME) and Analyst of the School (AE), verified through the pass procedure.[1][2]
Training and Formation
Training follows Lacanian models, organized through seminars, clinical sections, and cartels, coordinated continentally via the ECP.[1]
Cartels
The ECP extensively uses the cartel, a Lacanian device of four members plus a "Plus-One" for focused work, supplanting hierarchical education.[1]
The Pass
The pass (la passe) verifies the analysand-to-analyst transition: a passant testifies before passeurs (passed analysts), evaluated by a jury for AE nomination. This device, formalized in Lacan's École Freudienne de Paris, underscores self-authorization: "The analyst historizes only from himself."[2][1]
Key Concepts / Theoretical Orientation
The ECP adheres to Lacan's "return to Freud", prioritizing the Real, the Name-of-the-Father, and the sinthome. These inform its anti-evaluative politics and non-hierarchical institution, echoing Lacan's critique of IPA orthodoxy.[2][1]
See also
- Jacques Lacan
- World Association of Psychoanalysis
- École de la Cause Freudienne
- Cartel (psychoanalysis)
- Pass (psychoanalysis)