UEF News 2012
11 January 2012 - Movement for federal Europe to be established in Lithuania
On 11 January 2012, an organization aiming to unite people of different professions and different political parties who share a common goal of seeing Lithuania in a strong and united Europe was announced in Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas.
23 January 2012 - Federalists to petition Parliament on Fiscal Union
At meetings in Barcelona on Friday and Saturday (20-21 January), the European federalists took a stance on the emerging intergovernmental treaty on fiscal discipline.
11 January - Movement for federal Europe to be established in Lithuania
On 11 January 2012, an organization aiming to unite people of different professions and different political parties who share a common goal of seeing Lithuania in a strong and united Europe was announced in Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas.
Founders of the movement, called Union of European Federalists (UEF) Lithuania, say it will be a non-governmental citizens’ organization. They all want to see Europe politically and economically united with a common Constitution, supranational governing structures, as well as foundations of effective transnational democracy.
The new organization was announced in a press conference by its founders and initiators: Mr Petras Auštrevi?ius, a liberal member of the Seimas and deputy chairman of the Committee on European Affairs, Mr Rokas Grajauskas, founder of UEF Lithuania, Mr Egidijus Vareikis, a conservative member of the Seimas, professor Gediminas Vitkus, head of the political science department in the Lithuanian Military Academy and Ms Vaida ?esnulevi?i?t?, a member of the presidium of Young European Federalists (JEF Europe).
Mr Auštrevi?ius, who is also Lithuania’s former chief negotiator for accession to the European Union (EU), stressed that as the EU meets new challenges today, it is vital to adequately defend Lithuania’s interests in the Union. “We expect to remain in the core of Europe, at the same time we want to see EU countries move forward together and not separately. Of course, this will require considerable common political will, unity and solidarity”, - said Mr Auštrevi?ius during the press conference.
Speaking about the aims of UEF Lithuania Mr Grajauskas, one of its founders, stressed that federal Europe is first of all beneficial to Lithuanian citizens, whereas long-term security and well-being of Lithuania as a country directly depends on the vitality of the EU.
“Federal Europe is beneficial to Lithuania in every aspect From the economic point of view, larger EU budget will mean more funding to Lithuania, since for some time ahead Lithuania will be a net beneficiary of the EU funds. The security aspect is of no lesser importance. For it is hard to expect that the United States would remain committed to the security of Lithuania and the wider region indefinitely. Therefore we think that the security vacuum in the longer term should be filled by effective European military capabilities”, - said Mr Grajauskas.
Meanwhile Mr Vareikis, a conservative MP, stated that federalism is a cure, not the cause of our problems, and said that the current crisis has become so acute due to the shortage of federalism. According to him, the main problem facing the euro at the moment is not the euro itself but rather the disrespect for the rules governing the common currency. Mr Vareikis also sees no contradiction between loyalty to one’s own country and European federalism. “Patriotism should be encouraged, the real problem is cocky nationalism”, - he said.
Founders of the new organization also spoke of the need to promote more effectively the idea of united Europe and what it can bring to Lithuanian citizens, as well as pledged to provide an alternative view to the often unfounded anti-European populism.
Branches of the Union of European Federalists, a Europe-wide organization, currently exist in 18 European countries and unite more than 50 thousand members. UEF Lithuania is the first such organization in the Baltic states.
For more information contact: eurofederalistai@gmail.com
23 January 2012 - Federalists to petition Parliament on Fiscal Union
At meetings in Barcelona on Friday and Saturday (20-21 January), the European federalists took a stance on the emerging intergovernmental treaty on fiscal discipline.
The UEF took note of the circumstances which led up to the drafting of a new treaty outside the framework of the European Union, but welcomed the fact that the British bluff had been called and their veto by-passed.
Several problematical issues in the 4th draft of the treaty were noted, including the problem of discordance with the official EU structure and treaty-based criteria.
In the view of UEF, the new treaty does not address the critical problem of sovereign debt and is therefore only one further step towards what must be done to salvage the euro and to begin economic recovery.
Andrew Duff MEP, President of the UEF, said:
"For all its complications, the new treaty does contain some features which federalists can welcome warmly. These are that it goes further than the Six Pack in terms of budgetary discipline; it commits to the greater use of enhanced cooperation among the eurozone; it will enter into force before all signatory states have ratified it; and it is to be incorporated into the EU treaty within five years.
"What Europe now needs, however, is a draft treaty on fiscal union run by a federal economic government. For this reason the UEF has decided to petition the European Parliament to use its new constitutional powers to initiate this next decisive step."
25 January 2012 - ‘The European Union at Risk’ Policy Briefing by Andrew Duff
Last Friday (20 January) in Barcelona, MEP Andrew DUFF spoke to a conference co-organised by the Union of the European Federalists and the Spinelli Group on the current state of EU affairs. The position of the UK within the Union, the on-going negotiations of the new budget treaty, the future of the Eurozone and of the EU overall — all these subjects were covered and then debated with an audience of experts gathered at the seat of the European institutions in Barcelona.
The title chosen for the event spoke for itself but Andrew Duff stated it bluntly: ‘The EU is an experiment, and like all experiments it can fail’. For the President of the UEF, the European integration has always been an on-going process that all EU states had accepted – he instantly corrected ‘except for the UK to some extent‘. Andrew Duff went on to explain his vision of the UK/EU relationship reminding his audience that, although traditionally reluctant to fully embrace the méthode communautaire, the UK had always insisted on being at the table and participating in EU talks. The veto of David Cameron against an attempt to salvage the euro through necessary treaty changes at the last European Council was a predetermined attempt to break the traditional UK EU policy, according to the Lib Dem MEP. Duff described the veto as ‘sabotage’ that has proven counterproductive as the 26 other states circumvented it by starting to draft an intergovernmental agreement on fiscal discipline, leaving the UK isolated.
Duff then commented on the new agreement which latest draft had been released the day before. The spokesman of the ALDE group for constitutional affairs announced that, after several tries, the high contracting parties had finally found a name for this international agreement ‘Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union’. According to Duff, the new treaty has both negative and positive aspects. Starting with the bad features, he doubted the capacity of the new treaty to convince the markets. Markets are no fools, and would wonder if the decision to work outside the EU constitutional framework meant that the governments might not be serious about fiscal discipline and economic governance. According to Duff, the new treaty takes on board existing tools such as the package of legislation on economic governance – the ‘Six-Pack’- passed in September by the European Parliament. He also underlined that mention is made of the Euro Plus Pact (signed by only 23 states), whose content and value are still to be defined.
For Duff the real novelty is the introduction, on the initiative of the Germans, of the duty to entrench a golden rule and debt brake clause in national constitutions (or an act of near comparable value). On the debt brake, he highlighted that the description of the public deficit enshrined in the fourth draft treaty diverges from the description made by the Stability and Growth Pact and thus two standards will apply, creating confusion. He concluded on the debt brake stressing that the ECJ would be empowered to oversee the implementation thereof as well as having to deal with cases brought by states under Article 273 TFEU. He specified that such a procedure differs from the traditional infringement proceeding of the Article 258, led by the European Commission — under the new treaty the Commission will be at disposal of the states as a ‘consultant’ or ‘secretariat’. He finally wondered what would be the dynamic leading Member States to suddenly start to sue each other if they always had the opportunity to do so but never did in the past.
Overall, the co-chair of the Spinelli Group is sceptical about the new treaty. He stressed that ‘coordination’ is not truly federalist; ‘economic governance’ is not a proper ‘economic government’ and that taken the situation of the Eurozone, Euro summits, which the new agreement institutionalises, will have to meet almost everyday! He also questioned the relation between this new body and the EU institutions. Apart from the questions raised by the ECJ and the Commission, the British MEP wondered what would be the role of the directly elected European Parliament, whose President will be ‘invited to be heard’ at Euro summits – an odd and unprecedented situation. According to Duff, the Parliament should not get too involved in this new deal as it ought to have clean hands when the text will be taken to Court – for it will, sooner or later.
Finally Andrew Duff underlined two encouraging points. He welcomed the fact that the new text will enter into force after the ratification of the 12th Eurozone state and not wait for the 26 to have completed the process; that will set a political precedent for the inevitable forthcoming EU treaty revisions. Such revisions would take place in five years at the latest since, according to the draft treaty, its provisions will have to be integrated into EU law through a constitutional Convention. By that time, he said, the UK coalition government will have changed and things will be considered accordingly.
Andrew Duff wound up by stating that the new treaty had good, bad and curious features. He regretted that the states did not prove as enthusiastic a year ago when the Six Pack was being negotiated and insisted on the fact that what the new treaty will not give birth to a genuine fiscal union of a federal type based on solidarity among European tax payers. ‘This new treaty must work, but not too well otherwise we risk to set a dangerous precedent’, he concluded.
6 February 2012 - Andrew Duff attended the constitutive meeting of UEF Lithuania
On 3 February Mr Andrew Duff, the president of Union of European Federalists (UEF), attended the constitutive meeting of a branch of UEF in Lithuania. The meeting, which took place in the Lithuanian parliament, was widely covered by the national media and was attended by a large group of the organization’s founders, among which there are a number of MPs, academics and other well-known figures.
Speaking at the meeting Mr Duff said the blue European flag could be seen on the streets of Lithuania already in 1990. According to Mr Duff, the Lithuanian Independence movement was progressive and forward-looking from the very beginning.
“Europe is nearing its federal moment - the time to decide on whether it wishes to become more united or not. The growth of the federal movement in Lithuania is therefore greatly to be welcomed”- he said.
The president of UEF also criticized the way the current euro crisis is being dealt with at the European level. “The new compact on fiscal discipline tackles only one side of the problem, namely the lack of fiscal discipline. But the current crisis cannot be solved without greater fiscal solidarity, which is not foreseen in the treaty”.
During the meeting Mr Petras Auštrevi?ius, a liberal MP, was elected as the new president of the organization. Mr Auštrevi?ius stressed that the European Union today faces very significant challenges. “We see very clearly today that the EU as a political-economic entity is still in the making. I have no doubt that closer integration in the EU is a wise decision and at the same time – one of the main goals which should be sought by Lithuania”, - he said.
The initiator of the movement in Lithuania, Mr Rokas Grajauskas, expressed his satisfaction that in a very short time it was possible to find so many pro-European people. On the other hand, the new organization has already been heavily criticized by the nationalist groups in the country. Mr Grajauskas nevertheless said he hopes the Lithuanian society will be resilient to superficial eurosceptic populism, which attempts to “frighten people that Europe will take away their identity, culture and customs”. “It is not a coincidence that in the opening part of our constitutive resolution we say that the European Union, on the contrary, is the guarantor of the cultural identity of European nations. The principle “united in diversity” is not only an empty slogan but a defining principle of European integration”, - he said.
The constitutive resolution, adopted during the meeting, outlines in detail the principles and values of UEF Lithuania, as well as its tenets in the institutional, economic and military areas. The resolution also addresses the current euro crisis and expresses the need for deeper economic-fiscal integration by creating collective euro bonds and increasing the autonomous EU budget. At the same time the resolution calls for the need to strenghten the common military capabilities of the EU, which would be employed to defend EU’s territory.
UEF Lithuania has already seen the support of politicians from different political factions. It will be the first such organization in the Baltic states.
07 February, 2012 - European organisations petition the parliament for next step to federal union
Following the agreement on the fiscal treaty by the heads of government of 25 member states, the heads of the three leading pro-Europe organisations have petitioned the European Parliament.
The petition by the Presidents of the Union of European Federalists (UEF), the Young European Federalists (JEF-Europe) and the European Movement International (EMI) asks the European Parliament to use its new Lisbon treaty powers to initiate a further revision of the European Union treaties with the objective of creating a full fiscal union with a reformed financial system.
See the full text of the Petition
Andrew Duff MEP, President of UEF, said: "The intergovernmental treaty is a necessary expedient to bypass the British veto, but it does not install the fiscal solidarity needed to save the euro in the long run. Nor does it help resolve problems surrounding the Union's political legitimacy.
"We call on the Parliament to act to use its full powers to initiate the next steps in European construction".
Pauline Gessant, JEF-Europe President said: "The response goes in the right direction but is insufficient to address the present challenges decisively. Furthermore we strongly regret the old-style “behind-closed-doors” negotiations and the intergovernmental supremacy of the European Council. The European unification process must involve citizens and their representatives and be discussed in a transparent and democratic way”.
Jo Leinen MEP, President of the EMI, added: "The next steps of European Integration must be done with the participation of the Citizens Chambers – the European Parliament and the National Parliaments – and not through intergovernmental negotiations. The method for changing and improving the European Treaties must be a new Convention and not a series of EU Summits."
Members of all three organisations will now add their signatures to the petition.
28 February, 2012 - European Federalists urge leaders to stick to their words
On 1-2 March, 25 of the 27 heads of government will sign the fiscal compact treaty. Over the last few months, many of those leaders have declared that we need to go further. There have been calls for 'more Europe' and a genuine fiscal union based on solidarity.
The Union of European Federalists has collected such statements in a special photo gallery.
This week the UEF calls on members of the European Council to stick to their word and act to achieve deepened fiscal integration within the euro area.
For example, in his recent speech at the Humboldt University, Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, said:
'What we are currently going through is not a "renationalisation of European politics", no, it is the "Europeanisation of national political life". And ultimately, with all its limits and its risks, this change will make the European project stronger'.
Even Petr Necas, prime minister of the Czech Republic, who is not signing the fiscal compact treaty, says:
'The eurozone has no choice now: either it will melt down - something which nobody wants - or it will move towards a federal fiscal body'.
And the other refusenik David Cameron, prime minister of the United Kingdom, admits he sees 'the remorseless logic of fiscal union'.
In a statement today Andrew Duff, President of the UEF, said:
'Angela Merkel has it absolutely correct when she says "Without a doubt we need more, and not less, Europe ... That's why it is necessary to create a political union, something that wasn't done when the Euro was launched."
Duff adds: 'Fiscal discipline is not enough to salvage the euro. We must move swiftly to the next stage of European integration: fiscal union run by a federal economic government'.
Other stars in the UEF gallery include:
Nicolas Sarkozy (France), Mario Monti (Italy), Elio Di Rupo (Belgium), Mariano Rajoy (Spain), Helle Thorning-Schmidt (Denmark), Andrus Ansip (Estonia), Jean-Claude Juncker (Luxembourg), Traian Basescu (Romania), Donald Tusk (Poland), Enda Kenny (Ireland), Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia), Boyko Borisov (Bulgaria), Dalia Grybauskaite (Lithuania), Pedro Passos Coelho (Portugal) and José Manuel Barroso (President of the European Commission).
28 February, 2012 - Federalists welcome EU membership prospects for Serbia
Reacting to the decision of the General Affairs Council today (Tuesday), UEF President Andrew Duff MEP welcomed the progress made with regard to Serbia and Kosovo.
"The Council is right to encourage Serbia's candidacy for full membership of the European Union. Serbia is the key player in the Western Balkans and has the necessary state capacity to cope with the demands of belonging to the EU. Now we will see whether it has the political will to continue to work towards meeting in full the membership criteria, which include good relations with all its neighbours.
"Kosovo is also deserving of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and it is encouraging that none of the five EU states who, for their own domestic reasons still refuse to recognise the independence of Kosovo, have blocked the Commission's mandate to launch a feasibility study.
"Despite appearances, Europe continues!"
12 March, 2012 - Free Belarus Action 2012
The Young European Federalists are organising a pan-European street action on 18 March 2012 to protest against and raise awareness about the last remaining dictatorship on the European continent.
Ever since coming to the power in 1994 the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, oppressed the freedom of his people and ignored their voices. JEF believes that a united Europe can be achieved only if all people in Europe become united in their action and support each other. Freedom is a key foundation of a just and democratic Europe and we as Europeans cannot leave the Belarusian citizens behind! The last presidential elections in Belarus on 19 December 2010 ended in mass detentions of protesters, with leaders of opposition being imprisoned. Numerous protests have shown that the people of Belarus had enough of Lukashenko’s rule.
With this years’ Free Belarus action the aim is to “Speak Up For Democracy In Belarus!” It is time to break the silence which is imposed on the Belarusian citizens and speak up. By collecting the actions’ outcomes from young people in more than 130 cities all over Europe (and the world) an important statement can be made that will be heard by the EU Institutions and officials, the dictatorial regime and the population in Belarus.
JEF-Europe is inviting your organisation to take part in the biggest European-wide awareness raising event for democracy in Belarus, and contribute to a united and free Europe.
More details on the “Free Belarus” action and how to participate can be found on www.free-belarus.eu and on JEF-Europe Facebook page and event.
Register your action here until 15 March 2012. To be listed among the partners for this years' action, or for any further questions, contact Ms. Ziva CERNEC at belarus@jef.eu or on +32 2 512 00 53.
19 April, 2012 - Enlarging the territory of citizens' participation
On 1-8 May 2012, UEF-Bulgaria along with JEF and the National Student Confederation have the pleasure of inviting you to participate in the international seminar "Enlarging the Territory of Citizens’ Participation".
The development of a European Public Sphere is a key challenge in the EU integration process. Its structure and dimension influence the democratic quality and the social cohesion within EU.
The international seminar "Enlarging the Territory of Citizens’ Participation" to be held in Sofia will provide young people with knowledge and skills for active participation in the democratic life of the union. The political, social, economic and cultural aspects that the seminar addresses will contribute to shape a vision how to strengthen European democracy and reaffirm the concept of active European citizenship.
The participants will acquaint with all direct and indirect instruments of citizen involvement, from the European Citizens Initiative to the structured dialogue with civil society organizations and a modernized system of European Elections. The ideas and knowledge generated during the seminar can be used by every participant and be implemented at local level
Methodology:
Panel discussions, working groups, lectures, plenary sessions, simulation games and information market will be some of the methods used to debate these issues.
The rich social program will enable the participants to explore the night life in Sofia, enjoy a horse ride in Vitosha mountain (optional) and see the Rila Monastery, one of the most significant and picturesque monuments on the Balkans, part of the UNESCO book of world heritage.
PARTICIPATING CONDITIONS
Age: 18-30
Countries: EU Member states
Costs: 70% of Travel Costs will be reimbursed (up to 230 Euro)
Fee/person: 75 Euro participation fee/person
Board & lodging covered by the organisers
Deadline for applying: 22 April 2012!!!
20 April, 2012 - European Federalists despise renationalisation of border control
On the occasion of a joint europewide meeting of the Young European Federalists and the Union of European Federalists in Leuven starting today the Schengen initiative of France and Germay was taken up with lack of sympathy.
JEF President Pauline Gessant and UEF President Andrew Duff say:
"Migration within and from outside the Union is not an isolated national issue - it affects all European Citizens and thus a joint management should be ensured within the framework of common institutions and mechanisms."
Andrey Kovatchev, an EPP MEP and a Vice-President of UEF, took these points up and prepared a resolution for the convention of both historic Federalist organisations that object to any renationalisation in these policies:
"Contrary to some latest Member States' government statements, the proper management of enhanced migration flows is not the reintroduction of internal borders between Member States, but the communitarization of EU external boarders' protection;" and "The recent proposal of the European Commission aimed at establishing a more efficient management of the Schengen cooperation system and uniform application of the Schengen rules, which would be a right step in the federal direction."
With regard to external border control, the resolution states that:
"For the sake of policy efficiency and in accordance with Article 77 of the Treaty, for the gradual replacement of Member State's responsibility for external border security with EU competences, a 'post-national' approach is aimed at."
Kovatchev further stated that the Schengen enlargement must not be stopped here:
"Any policy reform should not happen at the expense of the foreseen Schengen enlargement to new countries, provided naturally that all conditions to accession are met."
23 April, 2012 - Federalists target 2014 elections
Meeting in Leuven this weekend, the European Federalists have set their sights at the elections to the European Parliament in 2014.
"Our goal is simple," said UEF President Andrew DUFF. "It's to get more federalists elected so that the next Parliament will be more progressive and ambitious than this one".
A joint statement agreed by the Union of European Federalists (UEF) and the Young European Federalists (JEF) called for a large congress to be held in the autumn of 2013 (probably in Berlin) to which the leaders of the European political parties would be invited to respond to a federalist election manifesto.
Andrew Duff MEP said: "This manifesto must comprise the agenda for the next constitutional Convention which will have to open in 2015. Above all, it needs to promote the big push towards the federal Europe that appears yet to intimidate Europe's political class. This means fiscal union based on democratic solidarity between states and citizens with a federal economic government. The agenda will have to rectify some mistakes made in the Treaty of Lisbon, as well as considering the conferral of further competences on the EU, for example in the fields
of energy supply and visa policy."
JEF President Pauline Gessant said: " JEF and UEF welcome all the recent initiatives put forward by organizations, personalities, and movements that support the European political union on a federal basis, along the lines of the battle that JEF and UEF, through its national, regional and local organisations, have been waging for years. JEF and UEF will take the lead to organise a European Coalition for a Federal Union in view of the European elections to put pressure on governments and political parties".
In his closing speech to the Leuven meeting, Duff warned not to expect great things of the present leadership of Europe. "One does not have to subscribe fully to Mr Juncker's description of his colleagues as 'ungifted pragmatists' to know that the present European Council -- even with a swap of Hollande for Sarkozy -- will not be capable of saving the European project."
Mr Duff also emphasised the importance of dealing with the British problem up front to find a settlement that was mutually satisfactory for both the UK and the rest of the EU. "The UK does not have the moral authority to stop Europe going forward".
23 April 2012 - Joint UEF-JEF statement
Adopted by the joint UEF-JEF Federal Committee Meeting 20-22 April 2012. College de Valk in Leuven, Belgium
8 May 2012 - Fiscal Compact vital necessity
EU states should get the fiscal compact treaty in place as fast as possible. This is the message of Andrew Duff, President of the Union of European Federalists, on Europe Day.
In his statement, Andrew Duff MEP said:
"It is too easy for electioneering hot-heads to destroy the new treaty. But what would they put in its place? The British will veto a general revision of the EU treaties at this stage. So the fiscal compact treaty is a necessary expedient. It adds to the pressure of market discipline and peer pressure to which all European governments are now subjected.
"The new treaty is the vital tool to trigger the European Stability Mechanism without which market confidence will be wrecked. But the treaty is not the lasting solution to Europe's political and economic problems. It is in any case a confederal treaty, whose utility will pass once Europe returns to fiscal rectitude and regains the political confidence to move forward to federal union.
"The election of François Hollande opens new perspectives for Europe, as has the appointment of Mario Monti in Italy. But this is a delicate moment. Unless the EU's reform programme takes hold, structural reform will falter and faster economic growth will remain elusive. In the circumstances of a debt deflationary spiral, the risk to democracy would grow and the European project, which we celebrate today, will be in grave danger.
"I have no doubt that Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet would be saying Yes to the fiscal compact treaty as a vital step in managing Europe's present crisis. But they would then be moving on to real fiscal union, with solidarity expressed through joint and several liability of sovereign debt and a democratically accountable federal government making a common economic policy.
"That remains the goal of the UEF this Schuman Day. We urge voters, especially in Greece and Ireland, to deliver what must be done now to put the task of building a united European democracy back on track. There's no point blaming 'Europe'. We make Europe together - 'Europe' is us."
9 May 2012 - UEF Bulgaria: Enlarging the territory of citizens' participation
UEF Bulgaria along with JEF Bulgaria and the National Student Confederation organised the international seminar “Enlarging the Territory of Citizens’ Participation” held in Sofia from 1 to 8 May 2012. Participants from 10 countries discussed the active participation of young generation in the democratic life of the Union and gained practical knowledge how to communicate the EU to the citizens.
The seminar started with a lecture of the Danish ambassador H.E. Kaare Janson who made an assessment of the achievements of the Danish EU Presidency so far. The participants received a greeting address on behalf of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as well.
The participants were acquainted with all direct and indirect instruments of citizen involvement, from the European Citizens Initiative to the structured dialogue with civil society organizations and a modernized system of European Elections. Panel discussions, working groups, debates, lectures and plenary sessions were part of the methods used to debate these issues. The ideas and knowledge generated during the seminar can be used by every participant and be implemented at local level.
The rest of the speakers included Wolfgang Kutchera, Deputy Head of Mission, Austrian Embassy, Reinhart Krapp, Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy, Ralitsa Kovatcheva, journalist and Velko Ivanov, Secretary General of UEF Bulgaria.
The participants enjoyed a rich social program, that besides acquainting them with the night life in Sofia included a horse ride in Vitosha mountain and excursion to the Rila Monastery.
9 May 2012 - „Street polls on banners“ – a great success!
On 9 May, activists of Europa-Union and the Young European Federalists organized two street polls on banners in central places in Berlin.
According to the motto “How can Europe become more democratic?” pedestrians at Ku’damm and Hackischer Markt were encouraged to vote on proposals for a more active and participatory democracy at the European level. The action aroused great interest among Berlin citizens as well as international guests and led to lively discussions on Europe.
On the occasion of the Europe Day, Europa-Union Deutschland traditionally goes public with many different actions: throughout Germany, the regional sections warmly invite to numerous events and activities seeking dialogue and exchange with the citizens.
In addition to info booths and discussion forums, committed Europeans showed a great deal of creativity and innovative actions in order to attract public interest for European topics. The street polls on banners were organized for the first time on the initiative of the EUD Secretary-General Christian Moos.
10 May 2012 - Public Discussion “Is the European Project Exhausted?”
On the occasion of Europe Day UEF Bulgaria along with the European Movement organised a public discussion “Is the European Project Exhausted?” held in Sofia University on 9 May.
Official opening of the debate by the President of the Republic Mr Rosen Plevneliev
The main topics discussed were as follows:
- Do We Need Further Changes in the EU Treaties in order to strengthen the economic governance, Overcome Democratic Deficit and Bring the Union Closer to the Citizens
- The European Solidarity and the Future of Cohesion Policy
- Does the EU Have the Moral Authority and Political Credibility to Take Global Responsibility
The debate was opened by the President of the Republic Mr Rosen Plevneliev. He said that the EU will come out of the crisis stronger but the member states have to show solidarity. The solution is not a two or three- speed Europe but Europe of solidarity and responsibility.
The European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva delivered a greeting address as well. She expressed her concern that Europe is not competitive enough and is not doing enough to catch up with the US. Europe needs more economic and political integration, investments in innovations, and liberalisation of the labour market and green growth in order to overcome the crises. The Commissioner urged those who believe in Europe and our common future to speak often and loud since those who deny Europe are noisier.
The panellists invited to share their opinion on the topic included UEF Vice President and MEP Dr Andrey Kovatchev, the Ambassador of Denmark H. E. Kaare E. Janson, the Ambassador of the Netherlands H. E. Karel van Kesteren and the Ambassador of Germany H.E. Matthias Höpfner.
Andrey Kovatchev pointed out that the EU should have a stronger voice on the global level.
He stated the position of the European federalists that a federal and democratic government in Europe is the only way to protect the well-being of its citizens and secure their future against the challenges and crises of the modern world.
The Q&A session was intensive and exceeded the envisaged time.
The discussion received extensive media coverage and became the most covered event in the history of UEF Bulgaria.