Second General Meeting: "It is time to build the United States of Europe"

The Second General Meeting of the Third Action Committee for the United States of Europe was held in Ventotene, Italy, on 29 and 30 August 2026.

Political leaders, Members and former Members of the European Parliament, academics and representatives of the European federalist movement gathered on the island where Altiero Spinelli, Ernesto Rossi and Eugenio Colorni conceived the Ventotene Manifesto.

The meeting provided an opportunity to assess the political and geopolitical challenges facing Europe and to identify concrete priorities for advancing its political unification. It culminated in the discussion, adoption and signing of the new Ventotene Declaration, “It Is Time to Build the United States of Europe.”

The programme began with the seminar “Challenges to European Democracy”, organised with the fEUture Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence of eCampus University, in collaboration with the Action Committee. The debate addressed the external pressures confronting Europe, the internal threats to democracy and the institutional reforms required to give the European Union the capacity to act.

Participants also visited the Ventotene cemetery to pay tribute at the tombs of Altiero Spinelli and Luciano Bolis, recalling the historical roots of the struggle for a free and united Europe.

In the afternoon, the members of the Action Committee met at Ventotene Town Hall for an exchange of views on recent political developments and on the next steps towards European federation.

At a time of war, geopolitical competition, economic insecurity, democratic backsliding and an accelerating climate crisis, the Action Committee reaffirmed its role:

• as a forum bringing together political representatives, academics, civil-society organisations and citizens committed to European unity;
• as a catalyst for concrete initiatives capable of overcoming institutional paralysis;
• as a driving force for a sovereign, democratic and federal Europe that can protect its citizens and act internationally;
• as a platform for mobilising political and civic support for Treaty reform and deeper European integration.

From Ventotene, the Action Committee issued a renewed call to transform Europe’s crises into an opportunity for greater unity. The choice is increasingly clear: Europeans must share sovereignty and acquire the democratic power to shape their future, or risk becoming spectators in a world shaped by others.

Background and Objectives

The Declaration adopted at the Second General Meeting sets out a political roadmap for building the United States of Europe.

Its main priorities include:

• Overcoming unanimity – National vetoes, particularly in foreign, security and defence policy, prevent the Union from responding effectively to geopolitical challenges. The Declaration calls for the activation of the passerelle clauses and a broader transition to qualified-majority decision-making.
• A European Common Defence and a single foreign policy – Europe must develop the capacity to ensure its own territorial defence, economic security and technological sovereignty, while promoting peace, multilateralism, international law and a stronger United Nations.
• A sovereign and democratic Union – The European Parliament must be given greater democratic authority, including full legislative initiative, fiscal powers and an effective role in decisions concerning peace and war.
• A stronger European budget – The Union needs sufficient own resources and a genuine fiscal capacity to finance European public goods, strategic investments, security, defence, the green transition and social cohesion.
• Treaty reform and enlargement – Institutional reform and enlargement must proceed together. A larger Union governed by unanimity would be unable to act; future accessions must therefore be accompanied by stronger and more democratic European institutions.
• A federal vanguard – If progress among all Member States remains blocked, those willing to share more sovereignty should advance through enhanced cooperation, including in defence and foreign policy, while keeping these initiatives open to other countries.
• Citizen participation – European citizens, civil-society organisations and elected representatives must be involved in defining the Union’s future institutional architecture and in building public support for European federation.

The Declaration also endorses the petition for a Union Act, calling for the parallel activation of Article 42 of the Treaty on European Union, concerning European Common Defence, and Article 48, concerning Treaty reform.

The Action Committee will continue this mobilisation in Rome on 19–20 March 2027, in connection with the European People’s Congress and a citizens’ demonstration bringing together pro-European organisations.