XXII UEF European Congress
For a Europe of citizens. June 2009: give us a choice!
A leadership transition amid the global financial crisis and on the eve of the 2009 European elections.
The XXII European Congress of the Union of European Federalists brought together more than two hundred delegates and observers in Paris. Its theme — “For a Europe of citizens / June 2009: give us a choice!” — linked institutional reform to the democratisation of the June 2009 European elections. UEF wanted European parties to identify their candidate for President of the European Commission before the vote, making a choice of European political leadership visible to electors. [1][2][4]
The context gave the discussion unusual urgency. Ireland’s referendum had stalled ratification of the Lisbon Treaty; the financial crisis exposed the weakness of intergovernmental coordination; energy security and climate change demanded continental capacity. The Congress connected emergency action with institutional reform: not merely more cooperation, but democratic and accountable federal institutions with adequate economic, fiscal, foreign-policy and security powers. [3][4][7][11]
The Strategy Resolution was the political centrepiece. It judged incremental treaty revision inadequate and unanimity unsustainable. It called on the European Parliament and willing governments to launch a federal initiative, backed by a popular mandate, for a constituent Convention or Assembly. At the same time, it retained the immediate objective of bringing Lisbon into force and using enhanced cooperation. [4]
The Italian federalist press welcomed the clarity of the goal — a European federal government and democratic constitution — but also recorded a reservation: “popular mandate” did not specify the instrument, leaving open the question of a European referendum and the practical campaign. Guido Montani praised generational renewal, the unanimous political resolution and Duff’s election, while noting tension between UEF’s militant and broadly pro-European strands. [12]
Organisationally, the Congress marked substantial renewal. British MEP and Federalist Intergroup chair Andrew Duff succeeded Mercedes Bresso. A strong influx from JEF visibly lowered the average age of the Federal Committee and Bureau and strengthened the prospect of joint campaigning in 2009. Recorded guests included Sylvie Goulard, Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa and Jo Leinen. Sergio Pistone was honoured after twenty-five years on the board, eight as Vice-President; he, Friedhelm Frischenschlager, Alfonso Iozzo and John Parry were made honorary members. [14][16]
Political resolutions adopted
- UEF Strategy Resolution (PC1). Apri la fonte / Open source
- UEF, Agriculture and Nutrition in a changing world (PC2). Open source
- UEF, For a strong European voice in the UN (PC2). Open source
- UEF, Creation of a European Energy Community (PC2). Open source
- UEF, Shaping globalisation in a social way: We need a Social Europe! (PC3). Open source
- UEF, For a European Government over Economic Processes (PC3). Open source
- UEF, For a Common European History Manual. Open source
- UEF, Resolution on Financial Crisis. Open source
Elections, Bureau and Federal Committee
| President | Andrew Duff |
| Vice-Presidents | Philipp Agathonos; Guido Montani; Heinz-Wilhelm Schaumann |
| Treasurer | Olivier Hinnekens |
| Bureau members | Marko Bucik; Jessica Chamba; Francesco Ferrero; Paul Frix; Elina Kiiski; Nikos Lampropoulos; Kathrin Lichtenberg; Barbara Maierleitner |
JEF Europe Names confirmed in the new Federal Committee
| Samuele Pii | Till Burckhardt |
| Åsa Gunven | Jan Seifert |
| Florent Banfi | Chiara Chippoletta |
| Massimo Contri | Toni Giugliano |
| Ruben Loodts | Michael Roth |
| Marta Semplici | Joonas Turunen |
| Marco Valleta | Elisabeth Velle |
President and Secretary-General: report of their messages
Mercedes Bresso, outgoing President
Mercedes Bresso had led UEF since March 2005 and completed her term in October 2008. The public sources consulted do not preserve a transcript of her political report in Paris. Her institutional leadership of the outgoing phase is certain, but no specific wording can responsibly be assigned to her. The Congress line — a common response to the crisis, Lisbon ratification and a renewed constituent drive — must therefore be treated as UEF’s collective position, not as a quotation from Bresso. [12][13]
Andrew Duff, President-elect
In the candidacy speech documented by UEF, Duff made a three-stage case. First, financial instability, insecurity and climate change showed that national retreat would increase costs and feed nationalism. Second, Lisbon ratification was the immediate priority; another constitutional failure in 2009 would advertise the Union’s helplessness. Third, Lisbon was not the destination: UEF sought a federation of states and citizens, effective and democratic at home and capable abroad. The connecting idea was a post-national age in which shared problems require shared sovereignty. [3]
Joan Marc Simon, Secretary-General
No full transcript of the Secretary-General’s Congress address was located. An interview published on 9 October, immediately before the opening, nevertheless records the message Simon brought to the debate. Federalism, he argued, made even more sense in the twenty-first century: economic life had globalised while democracy had not. Elected, accountable and transparent supranational institutions were needed in place of anarchy in international relations. [15]
The EU already had a common market, currency and elected Parliament, but lacked three capacities: a common foreign and security policy; a genuine European government able to deliver a political programme; and fiscal and economic governance able to steer and balance monetary policy. Simon framed federalism as subsidiarity in action: allocating each power to the effective level does not deprive citizens of power, but makes it usable. European federation was also the first step towards a world federal order. [15]
The immediate campaign, “Who is Your Candidate?”, sought to politicise and democratise the appointment of the Commission President. European parties should name their candidate before the 2009 election, connecting citizens’ votes to executive leadership. In his post-Congress Newsletter editorial, Simon linked this programme to multilateralism, European government and reform of global governance. [2][15]
Sources
[1] UEF, announcement: XXIIth European Congress of the UEF. Apri la fonte / Open source
[2] UEF Newsletter no. 46, November–December 2008. Apri la fonte / Open source
[3] UEF, Andrew Duff elected as new President. Apri la fonte / Open source
[4] UEF Strategy Resolution (PC1). Apri la fonte / Open source
[5] UEF, Agriculture and Nutrition in a changing world (PC2). Apri la fonte / Open source
[6] UEF, For a strong European voice in the UN (PC2). Apri la fonte / Open source
[7] UEF, Creation of a European Energy Community (PC2). Apri la fonte / Open source
[8] UEF, Shaping globalisation in a social way: We need a Social Europe! (PC3). Apri la fonte / Open source
[9] UEF, For a European Government over Economic Processes (PC3). Apri la fonte / Open source
[10] UEF, For a Common European History Manual. Apri la fonte / Open source
[11] UEF, Resolution on Financial Crisis. Apri la fonte / Open source
[12] l’Unità Europea, dicembre 2008. Apri la fonte / Open source
[13] UEF, Presidents — historical list. Apri la fonte / Open source
[14] JEF Europe, JEF INFO — October 2008. Apri la fonte / Open source
[15] Fabien Cazenave, interview with Joan Marc Simon, 9 October 2008. Apri la fonte / Open source
[16] Heinrich Kümmerle, UEF Congress chronology. Apri la fonte / Open source
[17] UEF resolution archive, page 69. Apri la fonte / Open source
[18] UEF resolution archive, page 70. Apri la fonte / Open source