4.6 The Political Campaigns held in HAEU

The campaigns run by the UEF punctuate the life of the movement.

They reflect its long-term tactical and political choices aimed at achieving the creation of a federal and democratic European Union.

These campaigns may target a political or social group (e.g. members of parliament and/or public opinion).

They may also be organised around an event that is significant for European integration (e.g. a draft report, elections or a meeting).

At the moment the documents are:

1. Documents from 1949 to 1958: the issues began with the campaign for the Federal Pact, which was unanimously supported by the UEF. However, the actions undertaken are increasingly distanced from national and European institutions. This led to a split in the UEF and its transformation into the MFE.
2. Documents from 1957 to 1969: The supranational MFE, relieved of the 'possibilists', engaged in or supported campaigns with revolutionary overtones (such as the Permanent Congress of the European People). Faced with the traditional institutions, these initiatives sought to gain the support of the European people. Their failure led the MFE to adopt a more moderate reformist stance.
3. Documents from 1969 to 1979: From 1969 onwards, the fight to have the European Parliament elected by universal suffrage and to increase its powers became the main thrust of the federalist struggle.
4. Documents from 1979 to 1985: Following the first election of the European Parliament by universal suffrage, the UEF's attention is focused in particular on the electoral procedure, which it would like to be uniform. The movement also supports the draft treaty on European Union proposed by Altiero Spinelli within the framework of the European Parliament's institutional committee.
5.  Documents from 1985 to 1992: After the signing of the Single Act, the UEF's fight for a European Union continued. In particular, the UEF remained committed to the draft European constitution drawn up by the European Parliament on the initiative of Altiero Spinelli. In 02/1992, the Member States signed the Maastricht Treaty on European Union. Its political vocation was clear. The UEF henceforth intended to address the European citizens recognised by the new treaty. The aim is to give concrete expression to their rights and to ensure their participation in the democratic construction of a European Federation that 'respects the identity of its peoples in their national, regional and local contexts'. The movement launched a campaign for European democracy, which was formalised at the Federal Committee meeting in Otzenhausen in April 1993. The UEF also drew up 29 proposals for the Intergovernmental Conference to revise the Maastricht Treaty (which led to the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997): gradual transfer of the CFSP and JHA into Community competence, extension of qualified majority voting, completion by the European Parliament of its draft federal constitution for the European Union, and so on.