By Sarantis Michalopoulos | Link

Thousands of EU citizens gathered today (25 March) in Rome to celebrate but also deliver a wake-up call to their leaders to improve policies and address the rise of nationalism across Europe. euractiv.com reports from Rome.

EU citizens travelled from all over Europe to Italy’s capital to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Concerned about the growing popularity of extreme-right parties, activists gathered in Italy to send a clear message that there should be no way back to nationalism.

Remarkably, many young people from all the corners of Europe attended the march, holding EU, federalist, and even, UK flags.

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March for Europe movement [Sarantis Michalopoulos]

In favour of Europe, not the EU

Guy Verhofstadt, chairman of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, noted that more than declarations, we need action to move forward.

“Contrary to what people think, the majority of the citizens are in favour of Europe. They are not in favour of the EU of today,” the liberal politician said.

“Criticism has gained ground, there is a reason for this criticism,” said Verhofstadt, who was recently strongly criticised when he attempted to form an alliance with Beppe Grillo’s populist 5 Star Movement.

European People’s Party (EPP) MEP Elmar Brok gave a speech attacking nationalist parties across Europe.

“The Le Pens and Wilders want to tell us that Europe should be destroyed and we should return nationalism. Nationalism has always meant war […] we should say no to any dictatorship again,” Merkel’s ally said, accusing the nationalists of lacking a plan for the future.

“Europe has to be better in competitiveness and social balance,” the German center-right politician noted, adding that US President Donald Trump should avoid trying to hold individual negotiations with the EU member states.

“Mr Trump, Europe will stick together,” Brok said.

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French activist: “The main reason that I am here today is for my children.” [Sarantis Michalopoulos]

Gianni Pittella, the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) chief in the European Parliament, stressed that the social model should take center stage in the future of the EU and added that the next President of the European Commission should be directly by the EU citizens.

“Without a Social Europe, the EU project will hit against a wall. We need the United States of Europe!” the Italian politician noted.

Citizens fed up with nationalists

Jessica Chambat, a French pro-EU activist, expressed her concerns over the rise of nationalism.

“The main reason that I am here today is for my children. I would like them to live in a united Europe and I am afraid of the movement that is going on, which aims to put up borders, to divide, to convince us that solidarity has to stop,” she said, adding that coming back to nationalism is a terrifying scenario.

Chambat stressed, though, that the EU had the chance to develop in prosperity but this prosperity created more inequalities among people.

“Solidarity, equality and the social agenda should return to the EU project,” the French activist said.

Vice-President of Young European Federalists (JEF) Ophélie Omnes travelled to Rome from Paris. She told EURACTIV that the pro-EU movement was still alive but “this Europe has to change”.

“The 60 years is something we can be proud of but it’s not enough. These are troubled times and the EU has to make the right choices to move on,” the federalist activist noted, stressing that Brussels should start getting out of the its “bubble”.

In the pro-EU demonstration, a Ukrainian movement was also present. This movement organises activities across Italy and protests every Sunday in favour of EU accession for Ukraine.

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Ukrainian flags at the pro-EU demonstration. [Sarantis Michalopoulos]

“We are here because we feel European. We respect your values and we feel close to you,” 15-year-old Anastasia Tatarin said.

Catherine Guiburg, an activist from southern France, said that she went to Rome to fight nationalism. “We are fed up with all the lies of nationalists against the EU.”

Guiburg noted that in France, politicians from across the spectrum had done a poor job of explaining the EU and had always used it as a “scapegoat”. “They are responsible for the current situation,” she said.

Good words need putting into practice

Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which organised a separate march in Rome, noted that the Rome Declaration offers some hope for the future of the EU.

“Good words on paper need to be put into practice. The test will come soon with the publication in April of proposals for the new European Pillar of Social Rights, in May with new economic policy recommendations, and later in the year at the EU Social Summit in Gothenburg,” Visentini said.

“Workers need to see concrete measures to redress the enormous damage done to living standards, and hope for the future, by the financial crisis and the disastrous years of austerity-for-some which followed,” Visentini added.

Elmar Brok, Member of the European Parliament and President of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) welcomes the White Paper on the Future of Europe presented by the President of the European Commission today. “We Europeans need to have a broad and deep debate on what type of European Union we want. Changes in the global context and the prospect of Brexit oblige us to make choices. The European Commission made a great effort to outline the options in front of us and show how catastrophic some options might be” declared Mr. Brok “The European Union can’t stand still, nor revert to a simple single market, nor dismantle its existing policies. Our collective reflection needs to involve all European stakeholders and focus on the options that can bring Europe forward, bring stronger and more efficient institutions and deliver on key policies that matter to citizens, when necessary with countries moving ahead at different speeds”.

EDITOR’S NOTE:


The Union of European Federalists (UEF), is a supranational political movement dedicated to uniting Europe along federal lines. The UEF consists of 25 national member organisations across Europe that are autonomous centres of the UEF activities, reaching the EU citizens and spreading the federalists' message to them by organizing various activities in their countries.

It was officially brought into life on 15 December in 1946, in Paris, in the belief that only by uniting into a European Federation could the states of Europe overcome the divisions of the past and ensure a future of peace and economic prosperity. Last year marked the UEF’s 70th anniversary, a significant milestone that brings together generations of passionate European federalists who, since the end of World War II, have been campaigning for a united and federal Europe.

The March for Europe in Rome last Saturday (25 March) was a great success and a sign that Europeans have started to fight back against nationalism and Eurosceptics and want to claim back the European public space with a positive vision of the future of Europe.

While we prepare a more detailed report, let us summarize the highlights of the event:


The March looked young, international, colorful, playful, peaceful, positive and forward looking: we were the best image of the Europe we want! Here you can find the official pictures from the March. Check also galleries prepared by Jon Worth, Francesco Guerzoni, UEF-France, Nicola Vallinoto, Silvestro Reimondo, JEF-Italy and Franklin Kimbimbi. Press and TV coverage across Europe was very good, as you can see from this preliminary list. The March was the key event of a package of events organised by the federalist and pro-European organisations and their partners, which included:


Each of these events was a success on its own and contributed to the mobilization for the March. The March in Rome was not the only march for Europe. In solidarity with the March in Rome, satellite marches were organised in Aalborg, Berlin, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Edinbourg, Madrid, Warsaw, Paris and Vilnius. In London tens of thousands of people gathered to march through London on the ‘Unite for Europe’ demonstration to oppose Brexit and show continuous support to the European Union.

The March showed the vitality and strength of the European Federalist and pro-European movements, we made incredible efforts of promotion and mobilisation across Europe. With this event we have helped to create a better and positive political climate for the political decisions that will hopefully follow the Rome Declaration. We have accumulated respect and political capital, which will be useful in our advocacy work towards decision-makers and political parties in the coming months. And, last but not least, we have injected new energy in our organisations and our activists.

We thank everyone who contributed to the success of the event, but especially the Italian Movimento Federalista Europeo that did an amazing job politically and organizationally, with a team made only of volunteers and completely self-financing the event, the many Union of European Federalists (UEF) and Young European Federalists (JEF) sections that organised groups to come to Rome. A special thanks goes to our European Secretariat in Brussels - David, Laura, Adeline, Francesco and Valentina - have worked with passion and dedication to this event for the past few months.

The Union of European Federalists welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament of three important reports calling for more integration in the European Union. Every single day is essential to re-gain people’s trust in Europe, re-build vision and re-launch Europe’s unity. Today, the European Parliament moves in that direction and shows the right way to the national governments.

The report on “Improving the functioning of the EU building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty”, prepared by MEPs Elmar Brok and Mercedes Bresso, shows that the Lisbon Treaty offers instruments that can be used with no delay to deepen the Economic and Monetary Union, increase the effectiveness of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and make the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice more fit for today’s challenges. The adopted text indicates also ways to improve the effectiveness of Council’s decision making, by extending the use of qualified majority voting, and to guarantee its transparency by holding its meetings in public.

The report on “possible evolutions and adjustments of the current institutional set up of the EU”, prepared by MEP Guy Verhofstadt, outlines proposals for deep reforms of the EU’s institutional architecture, going also beyond the Treaty of Lisbon. It calls for a real European Government, a genuine EU budget and for the creation of a European defense union.

The report on “Budgetary Capacity for the Euro area”, prepared by MEPs Pervenche Berès and Reimer Böge, makes a strong call for the creation of a budget of the Eurozone, aiming at providing finally the monetary union with economic policy tools. The European Parliament is now taking a strong stance in support of the full completion and parliamentarisation of the Economic and Monetary Union.

“Today the Parliament shows that it has a clear vision on how to move towards more and better Europe that delivers what European citizens expect: from economic stability and growth, to internal and external security threats as well as better and more transparent decision making”.

Elmar BROK, President of the Union of European Federalists

The 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 2017 is the right occasion to start a process, involving also national parliaments and civil society; on that day, the Union of European Federalists is co-organising, together with other pro-European organisations, an open “March for Europe”, expected to be attended by thousands of European citizens coming from across the continent calling for a relaunch of European political unity. Against walls, divisions and nationalism.

Do you believe in a united and federal Europe? #joinUEF and become a member.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

The Union of European Federalists (UEF), is a supranational political movement dedicated to uniting Europe along federal lines. The UEF consists of 25 national member organisations across Europe that are autonomous centres of the UEF activities, reaching out to EU citizens and spreading the federalists' message to them by organizing various activities in their countries.

On 11 January our German UEF Section, Europa-Union Deutschland (EUD), celebrated its 70th anniversary with a central ceremony in Berlin. Rainer Wieland, Vice-President of the European Parliament and President of the EUD, recalled the political goal of the Europa-Union: the creation of a European federal state.

"This idea will remain strong and survive the current challenges and problems." The Federal Minister of Finance, Wolfgang Schäuble, paid tribute to the work of the non-partisan organisation and its promotion of European unification. "We are not really in a mood to celebrate," Schäuble started his speech. "The willingness to accept majority rule and the willingness to accept decisions of the institutions is not growing." "Still," Schäuble said, "the EU was the best idea of the 20th century and it will be our best provider for the 21st. We will have to move on, call it intergovernmental, call it pragmatic or call it core Europe."

It was a worthy location for the celebration, the French Cathedral at Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. The organist played solemn, almost bombastic classical pieces before the mostly political speeches were held in a similar mood. Unlike other UEF celebrations that I have attended, this time there was no euphoric lightness. The impact of Brexit, the refugee crisis and the attacks on the EU from so-called populists threatening the integrity of the Union were mirrored by the seriousness of the speeches. „Especially in these days, the Europa-Union would have to be invented if it didn't already exist,“ Wieland pointed out.

At the same time, the merit of the long-lasting movement was stressed by the speakers. „Maybe the EU used to be slim and now it is a bit fat, it is still unbelievable what has been created with it. And Europa-Union has always been a step ahead,“ said Michael Roth, Minister of State at the German Foreign Ministry. The President of the European Movement in Germany, Rainer Wend, appealed to the ordinary citizens,asking them to wake up: "Without ideals there was only 'realpolitik'. The EU is being used as screen to project anxieties onto. At this point the silent majority must not be silent anymore." Danuta Hübner, Chairwoman of the EP's Committee for Constitutional Affairs, encouraged the invited guests to stand their ground: "For 70 years you have been a source of inspiration for leaders, civil-society and citizens and nothing that has been achieved should be taken for granted. We must not stop trying to make Europe a working democracy."

While the appropriate seriousness of a liturgical event was carried out in the cathedral and very thoughtful speeches were held, the dismissal lead the guest to the dinner. There,eventually, the courage came back to the guests when Jo Leinen and Elmar Brok took the floor for a toast. They called on the members of the Europa-Union to remember previous crises when the EU was at risk and to step up the fight against the challenges of today, against populism and the turning back of the wheel of history. After all these years of struggling for a peaceful unification of Europe, there it was again, the spirit at the end of that wonderful night, bearing a sound that interferes with all the worries Federalists are facing today, whispering: Bring it on.

European Federalists welcome approval of Bresso/Brok and Verhofstadt reports by the European Parliament Committee on Constitutional Affairs.

The Union of European Federalists welcomes the approval by the European Parliament Committee on Constitutional Affairs of two important reports that together show the way to reform and relaunch the European Union towards closer integration, within the boundaries of the current treaties and beyond: the own-initiative report on “improving the functioning of the EU building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty”, drafted by Mercedes BRESSO (S&D, Italy) and Elmar BROK (EPP, Germany) and the report on the “possible evolutions and adjustments of the current institutional set up of the EU”, drafted by Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, Belgium).

The report drafted by Mr Brok and Mrs. Bresso, who are current and former President of the Union of European Federalists, show that the Lisbon Treaty already offers instruments that can be used with no delay to deepen the Economic and Monetary Union, increase the effectiveness of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and make the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice more fit for today’s challenges.

The report drafted by Mr. Verhofstadt calls for a reform of the EU treaties towards a simpler and more effective European Union, without multiple opt-outs and derogations, with a deeply integrated Eurozone at its core. The report indicates that the Eurozone should have a fiscal capacity, a system of genuine own resources, a European treasury, and a federal and non-intergovernmental decision-making where the European Commission becomes a genuine European Government.

Mr Brok stated: “Today the Parliament shows that it has a clear vision on how to move Europe forward. In the short-term there is much that can be done, already within the current treaties, to make the Eurozone more robust, give better responses to internal and external security threats, and improve the way the EU takes its decision. At the same time, we should start a discussion, involving all European and national stakeholders, on what type of Union we want for the future, a Union that can combine successfully the need of many countries and citizens for closer political and economic integration, with the will of others who are satisfied with a lesser degree of integration. Our reports show how this can be done."

Mrs Bresso added: “Europe needs a political relaunch. These reports together show the way. They are the proposals of the European Parliament for the European Council in Rome in March 2017. The summit in March on the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is the right occasion to formally start a process, involving also national parliaments and civil society, to discuss such proposals and how to implement them. Offering the citizens a clear and comprehensive project for a Europe that is united and can deliver on important policies, is the real alternative to nationalists and populists. This is why I believe in the prospect of the United States of Europe, not as a dream but as a project to inspire our citizens."

The Union of European Federalists encourages the European Parliament to adopt the two reports in plenary as soon as possible and then engage national parliaments, national governments and civil society in follow-up activities in order to ensure that the proposals set out in the two reports are pursued as soon as possible. The 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in March 2017 is the appropriate moment to start such a process.

On 1 December 2016, marking the 30th anniversary of the death of Altiero Spinelli, the founder of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) and one of the most outspoken promoters of the European political community, the European Parliament has approved a so-called Pilot Project: the Altiero Spinelli Doctoral Scholarships.

The purpose of the Scholarships is to establish a grant for outstanding doctoral students seeking to develop a research project in the field of European integration, possibly in each EU Member State. Research carried out under the Altiero Spinelli Doctoral Scholarships should direct its focus on: the theory of models of integration (e.g. trade agreements, international organisations, federations); comparative studies of existing integration models (e.g. the EU, African Union, Mercosur, United States of America, Canada); the role of citizens and civil society organisations in the EU integration process; the intellectual history of European integration; or the life and works of Altiero Spinelli. The budget allocated for 2017 amounts to 750.000 EUR in commitment appropriations and 375.000 EUR in payment appropriations.

The Pilot Project was proposed at the initiative of a number of federalist MEPs, among which: Luigi MORGANO (S&D MEP from Italy, first signatory), Elmar BROK (EPP, President of UEF), Andrey KOVATCHEV (EPP, Vice-President of UEF), Mercedes BRESSO (S&D, former President of UEF) and Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (ALDE, President of UEF Lithuania).

Europe is today facing many and diverse challenges. European policies need to address citizens’ concerns, but at the same time must promote our shared culture and values and the path that we have walked together, as a Union. On our way to the demonstration in Rome on 25 March 2017 we must nurture this spirit of unity and solidarity, and keep walking forward.

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