UEF - Union of European Federalists

On 28 March 2023, the Union of European Federalists (UEF), along with the Citizens' Panel Ambassadors of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) and the Spinelli Group, the European Parliament’s Intergroup of federalists-minded MEPs, is launching a Petition to the Council of the European Union calling for the reform of European Treaties. The revision of the current Treaty is essential to implement the conclusions of the CoFoE.

The UEF is now calling on European citizens to support the unprecedented democratic exercise of the Conference on the Future of Europe by signing the petition. By pressuring the Council to deliver on the recommendations of the Conference, we will ensure a sovereign and democratic Europe where the will of citizens is duly acknowledged and respected.

Sandro Gozi, President of the UEF said: "The Council does not share the sense of urgency that History is asking of Europe today. We need Treaty revision and the Council is kicking the can down the road. We must put the Council in front of its responsibilities to answer to the citizens’ will.”

Context
The Conference on the Future of Europe, which run from May 2021 to May 2022, drafted a series of recommendations to policymakers. All European institutions promised to ensure a proper follow-up of these proposals. So far, only the European Parliament decisively endorsed the full implementation of the CoFoE recommendations in its 9 June 2022 resolution calling for a Convention to draft new European Treaties.

The Council of the European Union failed to act on the recommendations of the CoFoE citizens. In a complete breach of its duties, the Council is refusing to answer to the European Parliament’s initiative. The Council cannot arrogate to itself the power to block democratic processes. Democracy must prevail, and the UEFs stand with the citizens of the CoFoE to see their recommendations adopted to the fullest.

The petition will be presented today at the European Parliament in the presence of Citizens' Panel Ambassadors of the CoFoE, MEPs, and representatives of the European civil society.

Pictures

This video has been produced after the event

This video is realized collecting the video testimonials of the spekers of the event to launch the federalisti petition to the Council of the EU in 2023, "Respect the citizen's will and the Conference on the Future of Europe"

Report below by EUCON (LINK)

During the Chinese President’s recent three-day state visit, Xi Xingping provided geostrategic support for Russia. The trip to Moscow was also a clear signal of Chinese geopolitical aspiration, showing China’s capacity to shape global politics. China has become an increasingly influential competitor on the international level. While the two countries share some common values, the “Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation Between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation” stipulates the principles of non-interference of other countries and mutual respect of sovereignty. Furthermore, there are territorial, political, and economic tensions between the two partners. One major issue is the “Belt and Road Initiative”, a Chinese government foreign policy concept to integrate with the economies of Asia, Europe, and Africa. It competes with the Eurasian Economic Union of five former Soviet states under the leadership of Russia, which is modelled on the European Union and seeks to establish a Common Market in Eurasia. Thus, cooperation and tensions both characterise the current Chinese-Russian relations.

Here the report of the event: LINK

ws_7_elections_2024_debating_eu_outside_the_capitals_and_the_key_role_of_organised_civil_societyt Download

Here below the video recording of the event:

🟢🇪🇺🇺🇦Congrats to @KASonline for this excellent #CafeKyiv event!@federalists is happy to be a partner organisation, together with @EUFrankfurt_ and European Movement Lithuania.#WeStandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/kKMea1CLkt
— Anna Echterhoff (@AnnaEchterhoff) February 27, 2023

Today marks the first year of the Russian aggression on Ukraine. On this important date for Europe and the besieged country, the European federalists want to reiterate their support to Ukraine and its people. The Union of European Federalists (UEF) remains committed to seeing a victorious Ukraine join the European Union.

Since the start of the conflict, the UEF stood beside Ukraine. On the day of the aggression, the UEF condemned “in the strongest possible terms the aggression [...] against Ukraine, a free and sovereign country in the heart of Europe.” On 4 March, the UEF partnered in the Europe-wide gathering in support of Ukraine organised by its German section of Europa-Union Frankfurt. On this occasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave a moving speech and thanked the Europeans for their solidarity, while thousands of people gathered, at the same time, on major European city squares, such as in Frankfurt, Prague, Tbilisi, or Paris.

On many occasions throughout the last 12 months, the UEF reiterated its support to Ukraine. On 5 March, the UEF organised the first Europe-wide online demonstration on the video platform Twitch. On 29 March, our Political Commission on Common Foreign and Security Policy debated the implication of the war for the future of Europe. In April, a statement from the UEF renewed its support to “Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, which are currently confronted with continuous attacks and threats by Russia,” and recommended “the Commission [to] expedite its opinion on the granting of the candidate country status to Ukraine.” In June, the UEF welcomed Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for the European Union. In December, the Federal Committee endorsed the appeal "An airlift to save Ukraine" from its Italian section the Movimento Federalista Europeo.

On 27 February, the European federalists will gather at Cafe Kyiv in Berlin to explore ways for the European civil society to help Ukraine

At the UEF’s Federal Committee meeting of the 11 and 12 February 2023, Sandro Gozi, President of the UEF, called for the European Union to reform and welcome a victorious Ukraine: "Our generation must assume its political responsibilities—like the generation of Adenauer or Schumann did with its own. It is not the Ukrainians who should pay the price of our disagreements and reluctance in reshaping the European project. It is an existential duty to reform the European Union.”

The European federalists will never forget that the fight of the Ukrainians for freedom is ours, and it is that of all of Europe.

The Union of European Federalists (UEF) welcomes the joint declaration between France and Germany on Sunday 22 January and emphasises the commitment of the two countries to reform the European institutions, including the possibility of Treaty revision, in order to strengthen the European Union as a geopolitical actor and prepare it for future enlargements.

In the short term, France and Germany, in order to break the impasses that have been experienced, agree to extend the areas in which qualified majority voting takes place in the Council, for example in certain areas of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and taxation. Moreover, in order to strengthen public participation and support for the European democratic model, they are in favour of the renewal of European electoral law, including the creation of a single European-wide constituency with transnational lists, as well as the development of new ways of involving citizens in European policy discussions, building on the experience of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE).

“The European federalists greet this declaration with satisfaction”, states Sandro Gozi, President of the UEF and MEP of Renew Europe. “The shift to majority voting in the Council, particularly on those matters mentioned in the declaration, the new electoral law with the transnational lists, together with the declaration in favour of opening up the revision of the Treaties, these are all steps in the direction that we federalists advocate, and which also correspond to the demands contained in the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.”

“We now call on the other member states, and notably Sweden, which currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency, to prepare the necessary steps to bring the request of the European Parliament and the CoFoE citizens to the European Council to convene a Convention for the reform of the Treaties,” concludes Sando Gozi.

The Conference on the Future of Europe has clearly shown that European citizens want a stronger, more efficient and democratic Union. Only through treaty change will the European Union be able to answer their legitimate aspiration. Today's French-German declaration is another step towards the European citizens' will for a federal Europe, sovereign and democratic.

Citizens representatives asked the Council to take their recommendations seriously and ensure a proper follow-up, including through treaty change.

On 2 December, half a year after the conclusion of the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), the European Parliament in Brussels hosted the first follow-up event on this unprecedented democratic exercise.

The Union of the European Federalists takes stock of the open letter that the citizen representatives of the Conference sent to the European Commission and the Council and join in their concern.

In the document, the signatories express share a common worry with the UEF. They regret the “firm silence of the Council,” and its “unwillingness to listen to the citizens’ voice, and to pursue the change the EU needs.” The citizens hope for treaty change: they see it as a “necessity” if it is “the only way for implementing a proposal.”

Federalists, and with them all the supporters of the CoFoE, understand the necessity for Europe to adopt, without reserve, the recommendations put forward by the citizens that took part in the Conference–including the ones that require treaty reform.

Sandro Gozi, President of the UEF said: "we want a powerful and democratic Europe, through the strengthening of European parties and the Parliament. It is not enough that the member states decide by majority. The European Parliament must be able to supervise the work of the Council, have the right of legislative initiative and have more legitimacy thanks to transnational political movements and the introduction of transnational lists. These reforms should have started yesterday.”

The UEF will continue to support the claim of European citizens for a thorough implementation of the recommendations of the conclusion of the CoFoE and advocate for treaty reform, the only viable path towards a federal, sovereign and democratic Europe.

Here below the video of the intervention of our President, Sandro Gozi