The workshop gathered 27 members in presence, coming from the UEF sections of Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo, and Hungary.

All participants actively took part in the discussion. Each member was invited to intervene and share their perspective, ensuring a balanced and inclusive debate. More experienced members contributed with long-term strategic vision and institutional memory, while younger participants brought fresh perspectives and innovative ideas for addressing long-standing challenges.

Throughout the discussion, several common structural problems affecting national sections clearly emerged:

• a limited number of active volunteers, often with insufficient organisational and communication skills;
• very limited financial resources, with sections relying almost exclusively on membership fees;
• a lack of technical competences, particularly in the field of communication and digital tools.

Participants collectively reflected on how these challenges can be addressed through mutual support, knowledge sharing, and targeted capacity-building efforts within the federalist family. The discussion highlighted the value of the twinning program method as a practical tool to connect stronger or more experienced sections with those facing difficulties, enabling mentoring, exchange of best practices, and joint initiatives.

The workshop confirmed the importance of community building, intergenerational dialogue, and cross-border cooperation as key elements for reviving national sections and bringing people together around the federalist cause.

The workshop brought together 27 participants from the UEF sections of Romania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, and Hungary, reflecting the diversity and vitality of the Balkan federalist family.

Participants were divided into three working groups, each representing a fictional national UEF section. At the start of the exercise, every group received a sealed envelope containing a set of cards describing the initial conditions of their section, including organisational strengths and weaknesses, political context, available human resources, and external constraints.

Each group was given 45 minutes to develop a one-year strategic plan, which had to include the following elements:

• organisational structure and internal capacity building;
• a flagship political campaign;
• a communication strategy;
• one major annual public event;
• a recruitment and membership retention plan.

To mirror real-life dynamics, the simulation also included periodic deliveries of new cards introducing unexpected events, opportunities, or difficulties (bonus/malus). These elements required groups to continuously adapt their strategies, reflecting the reality that national sections must constantly respond to evolving political, organisational, and social challenges.

At the end of the simulation phase, the three groups reconvened in a plenary session, during which each team presented its strategic choices, priorities, and lessons learned. This was followed by an open discussion that allowed participants to compare approaches, identify common challenges, and highlight transferable solutions and best practices.

The workshop proved to be a highly engaging and effective format, fostering peer learning, strategic thinking, and regional solidarity. It reinforced the importance of planning, adaptability, communication, and collective leadership in building resilient and impactful federalist organisations across the Balkan region.

Pictures of the Political Debate: The EU at Crossroads: 20 Years After the Big Bang Enlargement, Is the EU Ready for the Next Wave? Can the EU Avoid Another Lost Decade in the Western Balkans?

Pictures of keynote speech by Rosen Plevneliev, Former President of Bulgaria, followed by a Q&A

Pictures of Political Debate: Can the EU Deliver? The new Commission’s first year, the MFF review, and what it takes to build a strong and secure Europe.

Here the presentation done

Here the recording of the workshop

Brussels, 11 December 2025

The new US National Security Strategy aims to ensure American global preeminence, "America first," and its tool is "divide and conquer." It comes on the wake of the 28-point capitulation plan for Ukraine that mirrored Putin´s illegal demands. It identifies China and the European Union as antagonists, but not Russia. The defense of Ukraine and European security are no longer a priority. It formalizes the Trump Administration's hostility toward the European unification project. Not surprisingly, Putin quickly welcomed this document.

Trump´s US wants a deregulated European market, by watering-down our rules on digital, artificial intelligence, environment, and due diligence of companies, so US corporations can profit without any restriction. In addition, the US does not want Europeans to become autonomous in terms of security through a European defense, but rather to spend more on American weapons. It does not intend to simply focus on competing with China (as some in Europe had hoped) but considers it detrimental to American interests for the European Union to grow and strengthen. In the nationalist project of MAGA ideology, the European model—founded on freedom and the protection of citizens through rules, the rule of law, the pursuit of social justice, democracy, and inclusiveness—is also a moral competitor.

The message could not be clearer for pro-European political forces in Europe, for democratic governments, and for the EU institutions. The US has turned from ally to foe. EU leaders that are still in denial should wake up to this new reality: this is the end of America's guarantee of European security. Therefore, it is essential to step up Europe´s support to Ukraine, including though the reparations loan and the development of new capacities, and to rapidly create a European defense system in accordance with article 42 of the TEU, as European pillar of NATO, to restore Europeans' real deterrent capacity in the face of the threat from Russia, effectively supported by Trump. The tools, if desired, are available, starting with the creative use of Permanent Structured Cooperation in the field of defense (PESCO).

In this NSS, Trump has also declared its support for the national-populist and Eurosceptical political forces in European member states. Europe's enemies, who finance subversive anti-democratic movements within Europe, are extremely powerful. At the same time, European Union institutions—lacking in competence, power, and resources—and the member states—powerless and inadequate—are vulnerable and weak. Until member states agree to create shared sovereignty in key areas of foreign policy, security, and defense, and complement monetary union with banking union, a unified capital market, and a federal budget, thus creating a truly federal political union, this state of paralysis will perpetuate, and Europeans will not be able to take their destiny into their own hands. The European Parliament has reiterated the call for treaty reform to adapt institutions and decision-making mechanisms to these existential challenges. Now it is up to the most influential Member States within the EU to take the lead in building a true political union that will overcome the unanimity rule.

Therefore, and in view of the European Council meeting of the 18^th of December 2025, the Union of European Federalists, and in line with the Action Committee for the United States of Europe, calls on to the Heads of State and Government to agree on:

1. Full legal risk-sharing among EU countries regarding the use of frozen Russian funds as collateral for the issuance of EU debt to finance Ukraine.
2. The activation of article 42.2 TEU on European Common Defence, and subsidiarily, the recourse to Permanent Structured Cooperation to build a European defense system, with a common command-and control system for the territorial defence of Europe, in order to guarantee the mutual assistance clause of article 42.7 TEU.
3. The progressive scale-up of the Rapid Deployment Capacity from 5.000 to a 60,000-strong rapid reaction force, approved by the Helsinki European Council in 1999, and the communitarizing existing bilateral and multilateral military cooperation between member states; and, within this framework, launching a Joint Undertaking between the EU and member states to develo and acquire Strategic Enablers, starting with satellite surveillance, secure communications, transport of vehicles and troops, and anti-aircraft defense, which could prove vital to replace US support to Ukraine;
4. The activation of the Treaty reform procedure as requested by the European Parliament in its 2023 proposal to overcome unanimity and extend the ordinary legislative procedure.

In an increasingly polarized international context, where only continent-sized empires — such as the United States, China, Russia and India — carry real weight, Europe needs a federal government capable of speaking with a single voice in the world and of protecting the rights and interests of European citizens. Their freedom, democracy and self-determination do not lie in the return to old national sovereignties, but in the completion of the European integration process, with federal, democratic, and accountable institutions able to tackle our common challenges: security, climate, innovation, migration and global competitiveness.

Watch the new video produced by EUMS with sponsorship of the UEF, about the recent approval of the resolution (2025/2013(INI)) Institutional aspects of the Report on the future of European Competitiveness (Draghi Report),with Brando Benifei MEP S&D and former Chair of the Spinelli Group as Rapportouer).

Europe is falling behind the United States, and Parliament is once again pushing for major reforms to close the gap. This video breaks down the EU’s latest attempt to strengthen its institutions, upgrade the Single Market, and move toward a more federal Europe. We look at why Parliament is calling for Treaty change, why previous proposals stalled, and what national leaders would need to do next. With the EU facing growing economic and geopolitical pressure, the question is whether this third attempt will finally make a difference. If you want to understand where Europe goes from here, this is the video to watch.

Watch more video produeced by EUMS and UEF here

EU Made Simple, our partner for producing high-quality videos viewed by tens of thousands of people, has decided to create a documentary series dedicated to the mothers and fathers of Europe.

This second episode about Jean Monnet was produced with the collaboration and sponsorship of the UEF. Enjoy watching.

For other Episodes of this Series in the UEF Library Series here: LINK

Europe wasn’t built in parliaments or on battlefields—but in quiet offices, through deals, trust, and relentless diplomacy. This is the untold story of Jean Monnet, the man who shaped modern Europe without ever holding elected office. From the chaos of two world wars, Monnet crafted a vision for unity that became the foundation of today’s European Union. Discover how one strategist’s concrete achievements created a de facto solidarity that still defines Europe today. This is Episode 2 in our Founding Fathers & Mothers of Europe series from EU Made Simple.

This is produced with the contribution of the Association Jean Monnet for pictures and video from archives.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change met in Belém (Brazil) for its 30th session — ten years after the Paris Agreement, which opened a global path to limiting and adapting to climate change, and at a moment when 2024 has been confirmed as the warmest year ever recorded, exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

This COP took place at a time when climate-mitigation efforts are being scaled back in many countries and regions — beginning with the European Union after the 2024 parliamentary elections, and followed by the United States.
The Union of European Federalists (UEF) wishes to thank President Lula and the Brazilian government for hosting this COP and for maintaining high expectations with the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever fund, the guiding principle of muritão (shared effort), and the roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels.

Together with many other NGOs, we observe increasing fatigue with a COP system that relies on unanimity. In the early years — and this was key to achieving the Paris Agreement ten years ago — all parties were eager to participate and build consensus. Today, some countries disengage while others openly block discussions. As a result, reaching agreements within this UN framework has become extremely difficult, and the level of ambition remains insufficient to meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

In Europe, the notion of a “coalition of the willing” is gaining traction. Perhaps it is time to rethink the negotiation format to allow groups of states to agree on more impactful and binding climate-mitigation policies.

Domenec Devesa, President of UEF, recalls that “we need a more democratic decision-making system at the global level. The fight against climate change is a clear example. We participated in the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, along with the rest of civil society, and even then the questions of decision-making and binding rules were already on the table. In a few years, it will be too late to establish effective global cooperation.”

Environmental protection: a clear example of the need for a federal Europe

• Lack of unified representation to speak with one voice.
The European Union agreed on its nationally determined contribution only the day before the start of the Conference in Belém — preserving appearances while reducing ambition. Unlike in the World Trade Organization, both the EU and its Member States are individually represented at COP negotiations, creating institutional confusion over who decides and who is accountable.

• Dependence on foreign imports and lack of energy security.
While the Commission, Parliament and Council debate simplification, deregulation or postponement of climate decisions, China continues its decarbonisation and leads the renewable-energy sector. The EU remains dependent on external energy sources (including LNG from Russia and the US, and still oil), raw materials, and key technologies.

• Lack of diplomatic capacity to build alternative partnerships.
Without an autonomous EU diplomacy, Europe struggles to forge new alliances based on win-win cooperation, integrating development, trade, innovation and climate policies into a coherent strategic approach.

• Lack of own resources to ensure social justice.
The ecological transition requires massive investment to support people throughout this transformation. Without genuine own resources, the EU lacks the capacity to act as an investment power. As discussions on the next Multiannual Financial Framework take place, this issue must be addressed.

All these factors prevent the EU from being a true leader on environmental issues — despite its ambitious European Green Deal. A federal approach is still needed for a sovereign, capable European Union with a global vision for this cross-sector policy area: the protection of the environment.

We would like to share here the interview by the greek journalist Yiannis Papageorgiou to the President of the Union of European Federalists Domenec Ruiz Devesa and published in the newspaper Insider with the title: "Be ready for a veto": Devesa's message for the new European budget

To read in Greek here

We would like to share here the opinion signed by UEF President Domenec Ruiz Devesa and published in the Spanish newspaper Informacion with the title: An unacceptable ultimatum for Ukraine and for Europe

To read in Spanish here