Georges T. Serratrice, France

Lord John Walton assumed the presidency of the World Federation of Neurology in 1989. He was aware of world wide regional organisations like the Pan-Arabian or Pan-Ocean Societies. Already in the 1970s Franz Gerstenbrand from Austria and several other colleagues suggested the establishment of a Pan-European neurological congress comparable to the regional congresses organised by other organisations. Hence, the first Pan-European Congress took place in Prague in 1989.

However, there was not universal support by other European neurologists. At the same time neurologists from France and United Kingdom decided to launch another European neurological organisation. As the president of the World Federation of Neurology, Lord Walton was concerned about this development and the possible split of European neurology. At the same time, Prof Serratrice from France, who also observed this development, took the initiative and invited the chairpersons of the national neurological associations in Europe to meet in Marseille. This meeting took place in November 1990 and was very constructive with regard to uniting the European neurologists. Due to various discussions about how to reach this goal the EFNS was not founded immediately, but Prof. Serratrice should be given much credit for arranging the meeting in Marseille were the discussion about a Pan-European society was intensified and the EFNS could be founded already after short time in 1991 in Vienna.