Walking the walk and not only talking the talk

Last chance to increase EU sovereignty and capability to act.

Brussels - Strasbourg 10 September 2025.

In 2024 the Spinelli Group  and the Union of European Federalists (UEF) supported the clear reference to the need for an ‘ambitious reform agenda’ with the aim of ‘improving our Union’, to be drafted together with the European Parliament.

“We need an ambitious reform agenda to ensure the functioning of a larger Union and to increase democratic legitimacy. While reforms were necessary before, with enlargement they become indispensable. We must use this as a catalyst for change in terms of our capacity to act, our policies and our budget. We will of course focus on what we can already do, of which there is a lot. But we should be more ambitious. I believe we need Treaty change where it can improve our Union. And I want to work on that with this House. And this will be part of a closer partnership between the Commission and the Parliament.  – Ursula von der Leyen, Strasbourg, 18 July 2024”

A year later reality hits hard, while no substantial reforms were carried out. Citizens face a much weaker European Union, a Union that is humiliated by Trump, a Union that is not able to use its powers properly but allows itself to be forced into “bad deals” because it did not have the courage to reform at the right time.

The EU’s inability to act as a true global player is also highlighted in the Draghi report and its call for action, underlining that Europe is now facing an existential challenge. Facing this challenge requires a renewed European agenda to remain competitive and grow, while ensuring employment, social and environmental sustainability, democracy, and peace. Meeting this challenge requires not only a new European strategy but also a refocused, accelerated, and simplified supranational institutional governance at the EU level.

Von der Leyen has not delivered on her promises so far. The European Commission has failed to present any substantial initiatives to strengthen European integration especially in the fields of security, defence and foreign policy. The price for this ‘business as usual’ and the lack of courage for stronger integration of Council and Commission is now being paid by a loss of sovereignty. Citizens ask themselves whether the EU will be able to protect them and their rights, especially against the US tech giants. According to the Eurobarometer of spring 2025, 81% of citizens support a common defence and have strong expectations regarding the future role of the EU, putting the focus on security, defence, the economy, peace and democracy. Europeans call for more unity among Member States.

The Parliament, with its report on proposals for the amendment of the Treaties from November 2023 (2022/2051(INL)), has presented concrete ideas on how to make the EU more capable to act in central areas and with this strengthen the EU and its role in the world.

Democracy is under enormous threat, also in the EU. Unfortunately, the Commission is weakening the role of the European Parliament and by this weakening democratic accountability, for example by using Article 122 TFEU extensively.

As the Spinelli Group and the UEF, we call to deliver now, before it is too late. We want reform to make the Union more powerful, more efficient and more democratic. Time is overdue for a targeted reform to increase the EU’s capacity to act and by doing this to deliver for its citizens and strengthen democracy.