EP calls for the second time in three years for institutional reforms in view of the enlargement. It also reminds the European Council of its pending proposal approved in 2023 of Treaty amendments.

Brussels, 23 October 2025

The Union of European Federalists (UEF) and the Spinelli Group welcome the approval by the European Parliament of the resolution on the institutional consequences of the EU enlargement negotiations, reported by Sandro Gozi MEP, former Chair of the Spinelli Group and Honorary President of the UEF.  

“This report starts from a simple conviction: the real question today is not whether the European Union should enlarge, but how to ensure that enlargement strengthens our Union. The cost of inaction would be too high. Institutional reform is no longer a choice; it is a necessity. Continental unification and reform must go hand in hand. We must reform the Union to unify Europe.” stated Sandro Gozi.

This landmark resolution sends a clear message to the European Council: Europe cannot enlarge without reforming itself. It outlines concrete steps to make the Union fit for future enlargements and for global challenges that demand a stronger, more democratic, and effective European Union.

“Enlargement and deepening go hand in hand. The candidate countries must make enormous efforts to become eligible for accession. The same applies to the EU. It must reform itself in order to become bigger and stronger and to strengthen its own capacity to act.” Added Gabriele Bischoff, MEP, Chair of the Spinelli Group and Vice-President of Europa Union Deutschland.

In essence, the European Parliament is calling for a more representative and empowered EU Parliament, a streamlined and balanced Commission and a Council freed from the unanimity trap through available flexibility in the Lisbon Treaty and Treaty reforms.

Many of those points recall the resolution approved on 22 November 2023. The European Parliament reminded that it had already submitted a proposal to amend the treaties in accordance with Article 48.
Among the most significant proposals supported by the UEF and the Spinelli Group are:

• The Parliament’s composition must be reformed before enlargement to maintain democratic representativeness while ensuring an efficient size. Reinforce the democratic legitimacy of EU decision-making by strengthening Parliament’s rights of scrutiny and inquiry. Empower Parliament by placing it on an equal footing with the Council and granting it the full right of legislative initiative — the power to propose, amend, or repeal Union laws.This would complete the transition toward a true bicameral legislative system at the EU level.
• The Council’s voting system must be redefined for an enlarged Union. Propose Treaty amendments to expand QMV and reduce unanimity. Reform Article 7 TEU procedure (rule of law mechanism)
• The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) has to be reformed to grant Parliament full co-decision powers on the expenditure side, including the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework and to move beyond the historical limit of 1% of the EU’s GDP and introduce new own resources to finance competitiveness, the green transition, and common defence.
• But how to Implement Institutional Reforms Before Enlargement? Some reforms can be achieved without waiting for a full Treaty revision. Differentiated integration must always remain within the Treaty framework, preserving institutional unity and avoiding parallel or alternative structures that would undermine the principles of EU law.
•  In the field of defence, the current Treaties already allow for progress towards a European Common Defence: the Parliament therefore calls on the Commission and willing Member States to activate PESCO provisions without delay to advance towards a permanent European Defence System if there is  no unanimity in the European Council.

“The Gozi Report confirms that the Treaties already provide the legalto establish a Common Defence. As highlighted in the resolution, a qualified majority decision under Article 42(6) TEU and Protocol No.10 could enable the creation of a European Defence System among willing Member States—just as the Economic and Monetary Union began with a smaller group.” underlined Domènec Ruiz Devesa, former MEP and President of the Union of European Federalists “This approach is fully in line with the political proposals advanced by the Union of European Federalists and the Action Committee for the United States of Europe since February 2025: to make Europe capable of defending itself, acting as one, and building a true European sovereignty.”

The UEF and the Spinelli Group call on the European Council, the Commission, and all pro-European forces to translate the European Parliament’s proposals into a roadmap for the establishment of a federal and democratic Union—strong enough to enlarge and to lead.

• Read here the text of the European Parliament resolution of 22 October 2025 on the institutional consequences of the EU enlargement negotiations (2025/2041(INI))  LINK
• Read here the discussion about this resolution  LINK

Brussels, 22 October 2025

Seventy years ago, in 1955, Jean Monnet founded the Action Committee for the United States of Europe, a transnational political initiative that brought together leaders from national parties and trade unions to accelerate European integration. The Committee played a decisive role at the moment of the adoption of theTreaties of Rome, the accession of Britain to the European Communities, and the direct election of the European Parliament.  

In the 1980s, the Committee was revived under the impulse of Max Kohnstamm , Monnet’s direct collaborator in the first Committee. That second incarnation working closely with Jacques Delors contributed the Single European Act and the Maastricht Treaty, reaffirming the vision of a political Europe. 

The new Action Committee for the United States of Europe operates through the partnership established by the Union of European Federalists (UEF), the Association Jean Monnet, the Spinelli Group of the European Parliament, the Young European Federalists (JEF),and Civico Europa Network. 

In 2024, the Action Committee was relaunched with a new generation of European leaders and thinkers committed to completing the Union, starting  with the Declaration of 7 May 2024, followed by the Ventotene Declaration of 1 September 2024, the Memorandum on European Defence of 5 March 2025, and the Second Schuman Plan on 9 May 2025. Together, these texts set out a roadmap for a stronger, more sovereign, and more democratic Europe, rooted in the values and methods that guided the original Committee. 

The Final Declaration on a Roadmap to European Sovereignty adopted on 18 October calls among other things for the full implementation of the Letta and Draghi reports, the establishment of a European Common Defence, the  abolition of unanimity In decision-making, and the organisation of an interparliamentary assembly to reinvigorate the integration process. 

Some quotes from the participants: 

“The third Action Committee is aiming at developing a ‘collective Monnet’, composed pro-European personalities to foster a common vision for a stronger and federal Union” - Domenec Ruiz Devesa, Former MEP 2019-2024 and President of UEF 

“We should not take for granted the European project and be aware of the challenges we need to overcome. All pro-European forces need to fight together, starting by implementing the necessary institutional challenges to tackle the EU's challenges.” Fernando Mariano Sampedro Marcos, Spanish State Secretary for the European Union 

“European federalism is the most ambitious political project in mankind” — Mario Monti, Professor at University Bocconi, former Prime Minister of Italy, former European Commissioner and Member of the Senate of the Italian Republic. 

“The West as we knew it doesn’t exist anymore. As Europeans, we need to overcome our internal institutional competition, clarify and use the tools that we already have on the table to finally build our strategic autonomy.” — Josep Borrell, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and former President of the European Parliament 

“We can criticise the functioning of the EU institutions, but we can not make the big mistake of delegitimising them. We should build the future together, constructively” — Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and former Prime Minister of Italy 

“If we want a peaceful future, it must be federal” — Enrique Baron Crespo, former President of the European Parliament and President of UEF Spain 

“Uniting the pro-European forces of Europe is a start. But thinking of the states alone without the citizens won’t work” — Othmar Karas, Former First Vice President of the European Parliament 

“The call to relaunch the Action Committee for the United States of Europe reminds us of our founding purpose: to secure peace, freedom, and democracy through unity. A federal Europe is not a dream of the past — it is the condition for our shared future. Now is the time for courage, trust, and joint responsibility, so that Europe can stand tall and speak with one voice in a world of giants.” — Andrea Wechsler, MEP and President of Europa Union Deuschland (EUD-UEF Germany)

"Times of crisis - and the 2020s are certainly one of them - often lead citizens and politicians to caution, not to innovation or deep reform. But we, as federalists, are here to challenge them and push them to act. Because these reforms are exactly what we need in moments like this, to move forward and progress together." — Christell Savall, President of Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) 

"We must be bold enough to acknowledge our failures: the threats we underestimated, the crises we allowed to grow. We must confront the nationalist and populist forces that seek to divide us and to put down what we have spent at least 70 years building. I do believe that hope, boldness, and courage must guide us to build a strong Europe with its citizens, for its citizens. I am confident this Action Committee will honour the legacy of those who came before us." — Mathilde Baudouin, Secretary General of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) 

Declaration A Roadmap to European Sovereignty LINK

All statements, documents, and activities of the Committee can be consulted on the website of the Union of European Federalists. LINK 

Pictures here by the photographer David Arous: Day 1 LINK, Day 2 LINK

Program, List of Participants and Background Paper LINK

Brussels, 10 October 2025

The Union of European Federalists (UEF) welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament of the joint resolution “on a united response to recent Russian violations of EU Member States’ airspace and critical infrastructure”[1], which marks a significant step forward towards the creation of a European Defence Union.

The resolution was approved with a broad cross-party majority of 469 votes in favour, 97 against and 38 abstentions, including support from several opposition parties beyond the current pro-European majority.
This wide consensus reflects a growing understanding across the political spectrum that Europe’s security must be guaranteed through shared institutions, capabilities, and solidarity.

For the first time, the European Parliament explicitly states that “MEPs insist on the urgent need to move towards a genuine European Defence Union, building on and going further than existing frameworks such as the White Paper for European Defence and Readiness 2030”, and calls for:

• the establishment of a European command-and-control structure complementing NATO;
• a common logistics and intelligence framework;
• and the activation of Article 42(7) TEU, the mutual assistance clause, to ensure collective European action in the face of external threats.

Domenec Ruiz Devesa, President of the Union of European Federalists, stated:
“This resolution sends a clear political message: Europe must be able to defend itself.
The European Parliament’s call for a genuine European Defence Union, for a common command and logistics structure, and for the activation of Article 42(7) are not only technical measures — they are in line with the UEF’s political demands, as outlined in our 2025 Policy Paper on a Common European Defence[2] and the Memorandum on a European Defence Union of the “Action committee of the United States of Europe”[3].
These are essential intermediate steps towards a true European Defence Union.
The UEF strongly supports this cross-party commitment and urges Member States and the European Council to turn these words into an institutional reality by establishing shared structures and taking a federal approach to European defence. The treaties should also be reformed to ensure that the European Parliament can exercise democratic control over the European defence system, and unanimity should be abolished across the board in the European Council, particularly with regard to foreign and security policy, taxation, and the Multiannual Financial Framework.”

The UEF considers this resolution a major political signal of consensus across pro-European and opposition forces that Europe’s defence can no longer remain fragmented among 27 national systems.
Only by pooling sovereignty and resources within a federal framework can the European Union guarantee the security of its citizens, complementing NATO and contributing to global stability.

The UEF calls on European leaders to use this momentum to move from coordination to federation, ensuring that the European Union gains the democratic and institutional tools to act as a true geopolitical power.

Mathilde Baudouin

Secretary General of the UEF

[1] PR of the EP Parliament https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20251003IPR30664/call-for-a-unified-eu-response-to-russian-violations-and-hybrid-warfare-threats

[2] Read here https://federalists.eu/federalist-library/proposal-on-a-common-european-defence/

[3] Read here https://federalists.eu/campaign/re-launching-of-the-action-committee-for-the-united-states-of-europe/memorandum-on-european-defence-union/

Brussels, 10 September 2025 — One year after President Ursula von der Leyen called for an “ambitious reform agenda” to improve the functioning and legitimacy of the European Union, the Spinelli Group and the Union of European Federalists (UEF) express deep concern that no meaningful steps have been taken to deliver on those promises. The time for speeches is over. The time for action is now.

“Democracy is under enormous threat, also in the EU. The European Commission has failed to present any substantial initiatives to strengthen European integration, especially in the fields of security, defence and foreign policy. We call to deliver now, before it is too late. 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.”
— Gabriele Bischoff, MEP (S&D), Chair of the Spinelli Group

In 2024, both the Spinelli Group and the UEF welcomed President von der Leyen’s call to work with the European Parliament on a roadmap for reform—acknowledging that enlargement made institutional reform not only necessary but urgent. However, despite growing geopolitical instability, the European Commission and Council have failed to act. Instead, the Union is now perceived as weaker and fragmented, unable to protect its sovereignty or make credible choices on the international stage.

“Trump is not our ally, and contracts seem to bind only the opposing party. Instead, Europe must unite politically and develop its own Common Defence and strategic independence. Neither Putin nor Trump should set Europe’s strategic horizon. Europe must lead the free world by its own agency.”
— Domenec Ruiz Devesa, former MEP and President of the UEF

The European Union has been cornered into one-sided concessions—particularly with the United States—while failing to assert its own strategic interests. As highlighted in the Draghi report, Europe is facing an existential challenge: it must renew its governance and act swiftly to remain competitive, protect its citizens, and secure peace and democracy.

The Spinelli Group and UEF urge the European Parliament to rise to the challenge and lead the Union out of institutional inertia. As the only directly elected EU institution, Parliament must be the engine of a federal transformation—starting now.

READ HERE THE DECLARATION ONLINE

DOWNLOAD PDF THE DECLARATION HERE

For a Sovereign and Federal European Res Publica
Declaration launched by UEF and CIME in Ventotene signed by Guy Verhofstadt and endorsed by Josep Borrell

The Trump-Putin Alaska Summit, without Europe or Ukraine, exposes a harsh truth: a fragmented Europe is sidelined in a world of empires. From NATO’s defence dependence to trade submission at Turnberry (August 2025), and from Ukraine’s marginalisation to peace deals brokered in the White House, Europe’s impotence is on full display. 

The threats are clear: an unreliable, “caesarist” America imposes its will, while Russia and China exploit our divisions, undermining democracy and international law.

Trump’s capitulation to Putin on Ukraine demands a European response. Without our own defence, diplomacy, and intelligence, we risk surrendering our sovereignty. The time has come to replace “vetocracy” with a democratic, federal Europe: one strong enough to stand among the world’s powers.

In this context the Union of European Federalists and Consiglio italiano del Movimento Europeo have launched the Declaration "For a Sovereign and Federal European Res Publica" in Ventotene Island on 30th August. The declaration is signed by Domenec Ruiz Devesa, President of the UEF and Former MEP, Virgilio Dastoli, President of the Consiglio Italiano del Movimento Europe, Guy Verhofstadt, Former Prime Minister of Belgium and Former MEP, Mathilde Baudouin, Secretary General of the UEF.

The Declaration is endorsed by Josep Borrell, Former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Antonio Argenziano, Former President of JEF Europe, Luisa Trumellini, President of Movimento Federalista Europeo (MFE), Roberto Castaldi, Secretary General of MFE, Sandro Gozi, Member of European Parliament, Honorary President of the UEF. Witnesses during the signatory of Declaration have been Antonio Santilli, Responsable Culture Sector of Ventotene, Giuseppe Pepe, Vice Mayor of Ventotene e Mario Leone, Direttore Istituto Altiero Spinelli.

The Declaration calls for the revival of the European spirit, the strengthening of the European demos, and the recovery of the vision of a Europe that decides, acts and advances with sovereignty.

To read our strategic proposals and the full Declaration, you can go to this link: LINK HERE. 

Original version of the Declaration: LINK HERE.

The importance of EU regions must be acknowledged, as the renationalization of programs is detrimental to citizens.

The UEF advocates for Treaty reform and progress toward establishing genuine federal fiscal power.

Brussels, 18/07/2025  

The Union of European Federalists (UEF) notes the proposed increase to the 2028-2034 EU multiannual budget (Multiannual Financial Framework, MFF) from the current 1.08 per cent to 1.25 percent of the EU GNP. This is the largest ever proposed MFF both in relative and absolute terms (around 2 trillion euros), even if the real financial needs to deliver European and global public goods are even higher (around 2 per cent of EU GNP).
However, the UEF expresses deep concern regarding the proposed cuts to several programs, particularly cohesion policy, and the renationalizing of agricultural policy.
Furthermore, the proposed approach on own resources is insufficient to address the structural limitations of the EU’s current financial system and risks perpetuating a model of dependence on national budgets.
 
An insufficient budget with a renationalizing drive

The MFF proposal will need to finance the EU to cope with unprecedented challenges: a trade war with Donald Trump’s America; an actual war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia; intensified competition from China; conflict in the Middle East; climate change; international migration; and the rise of the far right, with its anti-EU political agenda. 
The proposed Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), around € 2 trillion (€ 285 billion each year) represents 1,26% of the Union’s GDP. But 0,11% is devoted to the repayment of the debt made during the pandemic to finance the Next Generation EU, which any other sovereign emitter would have simply rolled out. This means the real budget is just 1,15% of GDP, that is grossly insufficient to fund Europe’s strategic objectives. The Draghi Report (2023) underlines that the Union must mobilize at least additional € 800 billion annually, of which 20% in public investments, i.e. 160 billions, to ensure long-term competitiveness and technological sovereignty. Yet the current budgetary architecture remains unfit for that purpose.
Meanwhile, calls for more defence spending are made without increasing sufficiently the overall size of the EU budget, implying that funds must be cut from cohesion, green transition, and innovation. This is an unsustainable trade-off.
The Commission’s MFF proposal proposes a renationalisation of spending programmes, thereby shifting more responsibility to Member States to the detriment of regional governments. This retreat undermines the very rationale of a common EU budget and misses a historic opportunity to build a stronger Union.

Real own resources needed and the road to a true, federal fiscal power

The Commission proposes new own resources and adjustments to existing ones, generating EUR 58.5 billion per year from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the Carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), the own resource based on non-collected e-waste, the tobacco excise duty, a Corporate Resource for Europe (CORE).
This is a progress but these are not genuine EU taxes.
Contrary to the functioning of federal systems, the EU budget is not the expression of a genuine fiscal capacity. Over 70% of its revenues come from direct national contributions. The so-called “own resources” are not true EU taxes, but rather national taxes collected under EU-regulated sectors (e.g. customs duties, agricultural levies) that are subsequently transferred to the EU. These resources lack both fiscal independence and meaningful scale, the two essential characteristics of a genuine fiscal power.
As such:

• The EU budget remains dependent on the will of national governments, without the ability to raise revenue autonomously;
• It is structurally limited to funding internal market development, and does not fulfil core fiscal functions, such as providing European public goods or carrying out redistributive policies.

As noted in the Monti Report on EU Own Resources (2017), for these to become true European taxes:

1. They must be based on political decisions made at the EU level, thus with co-decision involving the European Parliament;
2. Revenues must flow directly to the EU budget, independently of national channels;

Only by achieving these conditions can the EU develop a genuine fiscal capacity. This transformation necessitates a new legal framework that is democratically legitimate and supranational. Essentially, it requires a fundamental reform of the Treaties to confer fiscal sovereignty at the European level.
The UEF proposes four steps toward a European fiscal capacity, beginning with:

• the continuation of the NGEU program with new scale and purpose (including defense, climate policies, etc.) as long as the overall EU budget remains too small; 

• the adoption of the decision on own resources and the multiannual financial framework through the ordinary legislative procedure (allowed by a specific Passerelle clause article 312.2 TFEU), i.e. through co-decision between the European Parliament and the Council deciding by qualified majority voting to enable the Union to become the master of its own budget;
• Progressive introduction of genuine European resources managed by the EU and not Member States, including:
  • A Digital Tax on non-resident Service Providers;
  • A Financial Transactions Tax;
  • The Emissions Trading System (ETS2) that cover the emission of road transport, buildings, and other sectors;
• the elimination of the ratification by the Member States: Article 311 provides not only for unanimity in the Council, but also for approval by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional rules;

The European Parliament must stop accepting the logic of intergovernmental scarcity and instead act as a constitutional actor. The Parliament must demand a larger budget following its mandate of five years and not seven, protect current programs and the regional focus, call for fiscal powers, and support Treaty reform, as it did in its resolution of 22 November 2023.

The current Treaties permit some alignment of national tax systems and the introduction of new revenue sources for the EU budget, or even a specific budget for the eurozone. However, they significantly restrict the development of a true European fiscal authority because of the need for unanimous agreement and ratification under Articles 311, 312, 113, and 352 TFEU, which makes substantial reform extremely difficult under the existing framework.

The EU must become the master of its own budget—capable of setting strategic priorities, ensuring solidarity, and delivering results that only a continental scale of governance can provide.
“We stand at the crossroads of unprecedented global challenges. In this context, the proposed Multiannual Financial Framework, which is supposed to represent a step forward for the coming years, falls short of what is truly needed, primarily due to insufficient funding. To secure Europe's future, we must transition to our own real resources that ensure stability, self-sufficiency, and political accountability. The renationalization of key programs undermines our collective strength and dilutes the very essence of European solidarity. It is imperative that we empower the EU with a genuine fiscal capacity, enabling us to meet our strategic objectives and uphold our commitment to all European citizens.” said Domènec Ruiz Devesa, President of the UEF.

The recurring deadlocks during MFF negotiations show the need for a properly functioning European federation focusing on essential duties, eliminating national contributions that make Brussels dependent on member states and removing Brussels' scrutiny over state budgets. Instead, it would involve fiscal transfers sufficient for the EU to achieve its political goals, as set by representatives of European citizens and member states. Without addressing the need for a federal political compact, Europe risks repeating the same mistake of ineffective and slow processes, missing the opportunity to enhance freedom, solidarity, and protection for the EU, its citizens, and member states.

Sources

• EU Commission Press Release
• UEF Manifesto 2023
• UEF Resolution 2024  
• Paper used by UEF during the Conference on the Future of Europe: The financing of the European Union: a proposal for the Treaty Reform to give the EU true Fiscal Capacity 
• The Future of European competitiveness | The Draghi Report 2023
• The Monti Report 2017 - Final report and recommendations of the High Level Group on Own Resource

PRESS CONTACT

Mathilde Baudouin
Secretary General of the Union of European Federalists
secretariat@federalists.eu

Brussels, 15/07/2025  

 The Union of European Federalists (UEF) warmly welcomes the final agreement reached on 17 June 2025 between the European Parliament and the Council on the revised rules for the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations. This text will be voted tomorrow 16 July in the AFCO Committee.  

This long-awaited reform represents an important step forward for strengthening European democracy. By improving transparency, simplifying funding procedures, and clarifying the legal framework for cross-border activities, the new regulation finally enables European political parties and foundations to operate more effectively across the Union. The harmonisation of the co-financing rate at 95% and the formal recognition of joint political activities offer greater financial stability and legal certainty to actors striving to give voice to citizens across borders. The mandatory implementation of internal gender equality measures, decision-making parity, and anti-harassment policies updates how European parties are governed. 

A vital but incomplete step 

While these measures will enhance the capacity of political actors to “contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union” as enshrined in the Treaties, they fall short of completing the political architecture necessary for a functioning European democracy. 

“European political parties will not have a role in national referenda on European issues, for example. It is disappointing that the Council solely focused on putting in place safeguards to limit the activities and governance of political parties and foundations.” Said Gabriele Bischoff, S&D shadow rapporteur and newly appointed Chair of the Spinelli Group. 

As UEF has consistently advocated, a genuine European political space cannot emerge without the establishment of a Europe-wide constituency with transnational lists for the European Parliament elections. This remains a core and long-standing demand of the UEF, as reiterated in our Resolution on Transnational Lists adopted in Rome in November 2023. 

The introduction of transnational lists—headed by Spitzenkandidaten nominated by European political parties—would significantly strengthen the democratic legitimacy of EU institutions, deepen citizens’ engagement with European politics, and link the outcome of European elections more directly to the leadership of the European Commission. 

Next steps towards a political space for the Union 

The UEF therefore calls on the European institutions to build on the progress made with the reform of Regulation 1141/2014 by taking the following steps (Resolution On the new European Electoral Law - Towards a union-wide constituency to strengthen the European public sphere): 

• Adopt a European Electoral Law under Article 223 TFEU establishing a pan-European constituency for future European Parliament elections; 
• Ensure that a significant proportion of MEPs are elected via transnational lists, with clear criteria for geographical and gender balance; 
• Reform the Spitzenkandidaten process, ensuring that the President of the European Commission is elected by a majority in the European Parliament; 
• Amend the legal framework to allow citizens to directly found and register European political parties, empowering a new generation of pro-European civic activism. 

Some of these proposals are already reflected in the position of the European Parliament, as outlined in the Report on the 2024 European Elections, for which UEF President Domènec Ruiz Devesa served as co-rapporteur during his 2019–2024 mandate as an MEP, alongside MEP Sven Simon. 

Only through such reforms can we move from a Union of governments to a Union of citizens—where politics is truly European in scope, ambition, and substance. 

"The next elections to the European Parliament must aim to assess the past five years of activity of the EU institutions, in a true exercise of democracy and European politics" said Ruiz Devesa. "We cannot allow them to become just a collection of 27 parallel national elections driven by domestic agendas. Instead, we must Europeanise the debate and stimulate voter participation by putting European issues at the centre of the media and political discourse." 

As Europe faces external threats and internal challenges, now is the time to be bold.  

The UEF calls on the European Parliament and the Council to act with courage and vision to complete the democratic construction of our Union.

PRESS CONTACT

Mathilde Baudouin
Secretary General of the Union of European Federalists
secretariat@federalists.eu

The Vice-President of Europa Union Deutschland (UEF Germany), Gabriele Bischoff, will take over the rotating Presidency of the parliamentry intergroup.

Brussels, June 25, 2025 

The Vice-President of Europa Union Deutschland (UEF Germany), Gabriele Bischoff, MEP S&D, will take over the rotating Presidency of the parliamentary intergroup. He was appointed today by the Spinelli Group Board meeting in Brussels. 

As Gabriele Bischoff inherited the rotating presidency of the Spinelli Group from Lukas Mandl, MEP EPP, the UEF stands beside her leadership and ensures her the support of all federalists. 

The Spinelli Group and the UEF warmly thank Lukas Mandl for his chairmanship. 
“It has been an honor to serve as Chair of the Spinelli Group for the past nine months. Many Europeans, are concerned regarding the future of this European Union and of the European continent. What they demand is a reform of the European Union. So how would a reform of the European Union work? It works through an EU treaty. Since the Treaty of Lisbon there was no treaty reform at all, but this is how an EU reform works, via treaty changes, via a treaty reform.” Lukas Mandl.

The revision of the European Treaty has been a long-standing demand of the UEF. Gabriele Bischoff stressed the importance of making the Treaty reforms and aswers to the questions of social justice and the reduction of inequality the focus of her work together with the Spinelli Group. 

Gabriele Bischoff said: "Thank you very much for your trust. It is a great honour for me to be the new chair of the Spinelli Group. As the first woman to hold this office, but certainly not the last, I am particularly looking forward to this task.

The Spinelli Group is committed, in the spirit of the Ventotene Manifesto, to deeper European integration and the further development of the EU and its treaties. 

The Ventotene Manifesto, written in 1941, emphasised even then that a united Europe can only be strong if it can provide answers to questions of social justice and the reduction of inequality.

In this sense: ‘The road ahead is neither easy nor safe. But it must be taken, and it will be taken!"

RELATED LINKS

See the Board Members of the Spinelli Group LINK HERE

In view of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the 75th anniversary of the 9th May Declaration, the reconstituted Monnet Action Committee for the United States of Europe calls for launching a Second Schuman Plan, thus paving the way for a Common Defence and Security, and a European Federation, as envisaged already in 1941 by the Ventotene Manifesto.

This Declaration by the Action Committee for the United States of Europe has been supported by personnalities from politics, culture, think tanks and civil society organisations. Before its publication here, it has been published as an Opinion Article in the following newspapers and think-thank:

• Libération
• Quotidiano Nazionale
• Euractiv Europe
• Euractiv Spain
• Euractiv Italy
• La Testata
• Emerging Europe 

Brussels, 9th May 2025

The German poet Friedrich Hölderlin wrote: “Wherein lies the danger, grows also the saving power”. And indeed, a new European citizen´s spirit is emerging across the Continent. We witnessed it on the 15th of March 2025, from Rome to Tbilisi, in Budapest, Bucharest, Belgrade, and in many other cities across Europe, and also today in Brussels and other European capitals. Support for European integration is high according to the latest Eurobarometer. It is a popular sentiment to defend peace, democracy and multilateralism, against imperialism, authoritarianism, and trade wars, and in support of the Ukrainian resistance and the European ideal. Citizens understand that today the EU, like at the time of Brexit, is under threat from Putin and Trump, and its European minions. The European people is expressing a strong attachment to the European project and our common culture, but it is also calling for concrete actions to ensuring our own security and defence, our competitiveness, our social model, and stronger political unity and capacity to act.

The EU institutions, and particularly its national governments, must provide an answer which is commensurate to the great geopolitical challenges we are facing, and the demands of the citizens. In fact, 75 years ago, the Schuman Declaration already stated that “world peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it”. This sentence strongly resonates in our time. The document also proposed an “action [to] be taken immediately on one limited but decisive point: (...) that Franco-German production of coal and steel as a whole be placed under a common High Authority, within the framework of an organization open to the participation of the other countries of Europe”.

We believe that the setting up of a European Common Defence is today the clear and decisive point to be tackled in the European construction. This step is now a necessity, in view of Trump´s transatlantic security disengagement. On the 12th of March 2025, the European Parliament called the European Council to activate the different provisions of article 42 of the Lisbon Treaty to the said effect.

Such an important decision will pave the way for the creation of an autonomous European Defence and Security System (EDSS), endowed with its own chain of command and in charge of territorial defence, acting as the European pillar of NATO or otherwise in compatibility with it. Such an EDSS will not be dependent on the will and whims of the current US President, and it will operationalize the mutual assistance clause foreseen in article 42.7 of the Treaty.

We also need a larger EU budget financed with Eurobonds and new own resources collected by the Union, to provide for our common defence and security needs and other European public goods, including the fight against climate change, among other critical challenges. A renewed European financial framework should include the creation of investment instruments allowing EU citizens to directly channel their savings for these purposes.

We must remind Member States that a true European defence and security framework cannot be reduced to the different national rearmament proposals currently on the table, which could also result in waste and inefficiencies if not properly coordinated at the EU level. Moreover, security is multidimensional and should include tackling hybrid threats, cybersecurity, espionage and sabotage, etc. Finally, there will not be a proper European Defence and Security Union without the required political, strategic, and operational dimensions (planning, command-and-control, etc.)

At the same time, the proposed step can generate strong political spill-over effects in European integration, including the opening of the process to reform the Treaties in accordance with the Parliament´s proposal of November 2023. We must emphasize that any viable EDSS also requires overcoming as soon as possible the national vetoes and the intergovernmental approach, thereby ensuring the proper parliamentary and democratic control of the said security architecture. This is why we suggest the adoption of a “Union Act” comprising the parallel activation of articles 42.2 (on common defence) and 48 (on constitutional reform) of the Lisbon Treaty as a common package.

Therefore, we propose to all supportive Member States, the European Parliament, and the European Commission, call on the European Council to adopt the proposed “Union Act”. The said governments shall make it clear that they will proceed to activate the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), foreseen in article 46 TEU, for the establishment of the autonomous EDSS if there is no quick unanimous agreement among the Twenty-Seven Member States. This institutional PESCO shall remain open to all Member States willing to join.

At the most dangerous geopolitical moment in Europe since 1945 we must not fall below the ambition mustered on the 9th of May 1950. The EU must live up to Europe.

Download the Declaration here: DECLARATION PDF.

You can find the list of signatories to this link: SIGNATORIES.

You can support the Declaration to this link: SUPPORT.

Brussels, 11 April 2024 

The 146-page “Responsibility for Germany” Coalition Agreement (in brief Agreement) was presented on 9 April 2025 by the representatives of the Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (CDU), Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern (CSU) and Sozial Demokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD) after close to a month of negotiations. The compromise package is intended to form the basis for cooperation between the three parties, which would build the German Federal Government for the next four years.  As the most populous Member State and the one with the highest GDP among the 27, Germany should embrace its specific position within the EU in a manner that serves the entire Union.  

The fifth of six chapters focuses on “Europe” that starts with these words “The EU is a guarantor of freedom, peace, security and prosperity. These values are under intense pressure from historical changes. The times demand courage, determination and European responses. Our country can only have a positive future with a strong and democratic EU. We will exploit every possibility to strengthen the EU's capacity for action and strategic sovereignty.” 

According the three coalition parties, German interests are very much intertwined with European interests. “Germany is poised to take on more responsibility in and for Europe, as declared by the future government. This is a positive development and long overdue.” declared Christian Moos, the Secretary General of Europa Union Deutschland (EUD). 

The European Federalists welcomes this document because it shares a common vision of strengthening Europe's defence capabilities, as issued by the recent Memorandum on a European Defence Union (in brief Memorandum) published by the Action Committee for the United States of Europe, that was sent to the main European policymakers at 5^th March 2025¹ in view of the upcoming meeting of the European Council on 6th March, the Plenary of the European Parliament of 10th March, and the publication of the White Paper on Defence on 19th March, 2025.  

Many elements of the Coalition Agreement are in convergence with the Memorandum showing that the German coalition’s political stances are in line with the aspiration of the European Federalists. Here below the main points of convergences: 

1. Advancing a European Defence Union 
Both documents promote the strategic autonomy of the European Union and support closer cooperation with NATO while building a robust European defence pillar.   

The agreement acknowledges NATO’s continued role as the cornerstone of collective defence for many EU members (“For many Member States, NATO remains the guarantor of collective security.”) but advocates for the creation of the European Pillar of the NATO. 

2. Standardisation, interoperability and joint defence industrial cooperation 
Both plans stress the importance of harmonising weapons systems and operational standards to improve battlefield effectiveness and reduce inefficiencies. There is strong agreement on the need to overcome industrial fragmentation in Europe and to encourage joint investment, R&D, and procurement of European-made defence technologies. 

The Coalition Agreement and the Memorandum support expanding the EU's operational capabilities, encouraging: 

1. A stronger European defence industry cooperation, 

2. The development of key technologies  

3. Joint defence projects among Member States  

4. A unified European defence market with coordinated export rules 

Both documents highlight the strategic importance of space, cybersecurity, AI, and advanced technologies in Europe's future defence architecture. 

2. Strategic use of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO)  
PESCO is presented as a key tool in both documents for enabling a core group of member states to deepen integration in security and defence.  In the Agreement is written that PESCO projects have to strengthen “European strategic sovereignty". 

The agreement strongly emphasizes solidarity with Ukraine and strengthening European defence to protect freedom and peace: this implies a political commitment to collective security. 

3. European financing instruments for defence 
Both documents advocate for the use of EU-level funding and new financial tools to support defence spending, including exempting such investments from deficit rules under the Stability and Growth Pact.   

But Germany reaffirms its commitment to fiscal prudence, opposing the permanent mutualization of debt within the EU. While supporting existing recovery instruments such as NextGenerationEU, the coalition emphasizes that extraordinary financial tools must remain temporary and exceptional. 

However, Merz has requested that the German constitutional brake on debt be removed in order to launch a major investment plan for defence and infrastructure (potentially more than one trillion euros) that will allow Germany to grow economically to the benefit of other EU countries and increase its defence capacity.  

4. Support for Ukraine as a shared security frontier 
Each text recognises Ukraine’s defence as central to European security and the international rules-based order. 

5. Deepening European Institutions: Openness to Treaty reform (Article 48 TEU) 
While the Memorandum urgently calls for reforming the EU treaties to remove veto powers and increase integration, the coalition agreement states: 
“Where necessary, we are open to treaty changes under Article 48 TEU.” 
— signalling a cautious yet notable openness to legal and institutional reforms. 

The coalition supports the use of “passerelle clauses” which would allow moving beyond unanimity voting in decision-making to the qualified majority in certain political areas and encourages closer cooperation among willing member states.  

The followings points of the Memorandum are absent in the Coalition Agreement: 

1. No reference to a permanent 28th European Army in the German coalition agreement 
   The Memorandum calls for the establishment of a new European Army as part of a European Defence System (EDS). This idea is absent from the coalition text. 

2. Lack of nuclear deterrence integration 
   While the Memorandum advocates Europeanising France’s nuclear capabilities with shared funding, this is not addressed by the German Coalition. 

The Union of European Federalists welcomes also two points that are in line with our political request to the EU Member States Governments.  

1. Clear Support for EU Enlargement but with Institutional Deepening in parallel 
The coalition expresses strong political backing for the accession of Ukraine, Moldova, and countries of the Western Balkans. Germany proposes a step-by-step integration process for candidate countries, including partial participation in EU programs.  

Institutional reforms are seen as a necessary parallel step to ensure the EU’s capacity to absorb new member states. The UEF calls on governments, national politics, and European institutions to tackle the EU capacity to enlarge with its last statement “Is the European Union at risk of losing the enlargement battle as well?” approved in Budapest, 16 November 2024.  

2. Reforming the European Parliament’s Electoral Law 

The Koalitionsvertrag 2025 explicitly endorses the introduction of transnational electoral lists as part of a broader effort to strengthen democratic legitimacy and political discourse at the European level. The new coalition government commits to supporting a uniform European electoral law that includes transnational lists, with the aim of fostering a truly pan-European democratic space. 

This position aligns with UEF's advocacy during the last European elections and with the Resolution of December 12, 2023, on the European Elections 2024, for which UEF President Domenec Ruiz Devesa served as Rapporteur during his term as an MEP from 2019 to 2024. 

"The Union of European Federalists very much welcomes the clear commitment of the coalition partners for a stronger and more integrated European Union. On a European Defence Union, we noticed in many points similarities with our recent Memorandum on European Defence Union by the Action Committee for the United States of Europe." says Domenec Ruiz Devesa, President of the UEF and former MEP. 

“The position of the coalition agreement on the necessary institutional reforms also follows the positions that the UEF and its national sections have been calling for some time: there cannot be enlargement without deepening. To go faster in these very versatile and unstable times of emergency and to create trust among member states, it is necessary to use all the possibilities relying in the Treaties, but sooner or later it will be necessary to open up the reform of the Treaties according to art. 48 as requested by the European Parliament in November 2023”. 
  
The coalition treaty between the CDU, CSU, and SPD includes calls and commitments for a more autonomous and capable European Union, emphasizing 'strategic sovereignty' for Europe, particularly in response to current geopolitical challenges. These positions align closely with those of the UEF. 

The goals are ambitious and promising. Germany has the potential to bring new momentum and drive the necessary deepening of the European Union. The coalition treaty has raised hopes and expectations. The challenge now is to translate these words into action. 

You can read here the German version.