After the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) — Security & Constitutional development [de]
The Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) was a major pan-European democratic exercise for an open, inclusive, transparent, and structured debate with citizens from all over Europe. Now, it is time to review its progress, especially looking at these aspects:
- Strengthening common values in terms of sovereignty and more democratic at the European Union
- Sensibilize citizens to recognise the positive impact of reforms and political actions on their life, with the goal of demonstrating that citizens have a direct impact on the political debate.
- Additional requirements and recommendations forcing European officials to further strengthen the European “added value”
- Give an additional impulse and push to the requested reforms and a prolongation of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
To discuss these points, and more, the following speakers will open the review of the CoFoE as it stands:
- Eva Lichtenberger, Vice-President Europäische Föderalistische Bewegung Österreich, former MEP, Chairwoman of the Political Commission (Digitalisation, Climate & Biodiversity) of the UEF,
- Niclas Herbst MEP
- Rasmus Andresen MEP
- Moderation: Dr Nana Walzer
After the panel discussion, participants will have the opportunity to discuss the topics in groups (security & constitutional development) and to evaluate the impulses from the panel discussion. Eva Lichtenberger will summarise the results of the event.
⚠️ Plenum sessions will be held in German. ⚠️
The conference should be organized together with UEF (Union of European Federalists), Europa-Union Tarp, EDIC Wien, and UEF Austria
REPORT
MEP’s Niklas Herbst (EVP) Rasmus Andresen (EFA) and former MEP Eva Lichtenberger provided during the podium conference a valuable input. They gave their opinion, about their individual experience with the CoFoE and the major output they had recognized after the CoFoE.
After the entry question the podium went into more detail and the given focus with this review: What are the requests on security and constitutional development, especially in regards to the development in your region and European coherence and solidarity? Where do you see progress, which topics are already addressed by the European Commission? Where do you see the priorities in terms of unblocking the ongoing activities in regards to EU Treaties?
From the podium members as well as from the people in the plenum the Veto right was understood as non-democratic. The Veto right was useful in times when the EU was with 6 nations only, today the democratic states should fight against the veto right, each and every European Citizen should clearly request their national government not to mislead this right, but to cancel it!
Better democratic approach is requested. Also, in conferences like this one it should be a must to have more than one nationality around the table.
To protect the EU the EU should become member of the NATO, instead of individual European countries. This would make it much easier for the European federalists in Austria but also in Sweden.
The European compass must be implemented fully. The capabilities to manage crisis’s, equal if natural catastrophes or pandemies must be improved drastically. We need to understand more the question, what industry, service providers and public services request from EU in terms of rules.
Our consume of goods need to be reflected. Sustainability must become priority. Europe must speak with one voice, when talking about external affairs.