UEF - Union of European Federalists

We would like to share here the opinion signed by UEF President Domenec Ruiz Devesa and published in Politico with the title: EU Parliament must be willing to use its veto power

To read in English here LINK

Negotiations on the EU’s 2028–2034 Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) have entered a new phase of political significance.

Traditionally, this process follows a familiar pattern: The European Commission proposes a draft budget, the Council bargains behind closed doors, then, at the final stage, the Parliament is called in to give or withhold consent. It’s a sequence of affairs that has long placed the Parliament in a weak position before a nearly finished deal — but not this time.

In a break from previous iterations, this time the Parliament intervened early and managed to secure concessions. This is a feat that should be acknowledged. However, recognizing this success shouldn’t obscure the political stakes that remain.

Following the Commission’s initial proposal, the Parliament was able to assert itself at the very start of the MFF process through a joint letter from the presidents of its main political groups, expressing clear institutional expectations, financial priorities and political conditions. As a result, the Commission offered improvements regarding the role of regional authorities in the implementation of agricultural and cohesion programs, and accepted an enhanced role for the Parliament to monitor the MFF’s execution.

As previously noted by this very publication, the Parliament’s unusually early involvement was able to influence the framework before the Council began its negotiations — a notable break from precedent that should be seen as a strategic gain for parliamentary democracy at the European level.

Continue here

Please find here below the resolutions and the urgent statement approved

Please find here below the documents presented by UEF Secretariat and EB Members

Activity Report of the UEF (covering the period from early July to the end of November 2025)
Analysis of UEF advocacy achievements in the field of defence
UEF Budget Presentation 2026

Report from UEF Sections (the UEF Secretariat can receve more reports by other sections)

Some pictures of the event

Here the press release the inform about the event: LINK

Here the interview article to Domenec Ruiz Devesa form ATHENS DIGEST: LINK

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: Draghi y Gozi: federalismo pragmático y transformador

To read in Spanish here LINK

INF_DIARIO_20251031-Página 3-General Download

The European Parliament has just passed a major report calling for EU reform and enlargement to happen together — a potential turning point for Europe’s future. This video breaks down what the proposal means, who’s behind it, and how it could reshape the Union into a faster, more democratic, and more powerful Europe. We’ll look at what’s changing in decision-making, the Parliament, and the EU budget — and why it matters for countries waiting to join. Could this finally be the first real step toward a federal Europe?

Let’s unpack what just happened in Brussels.

Video produced by our social media partner EU Made Simple.

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

DavidAROUS 9877 - UEF — *Credit picture David Arous*

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/

The Union of European Federalists (UEF) has today sent a letter signed by the UEF President Domenec Ruiz Devesa and the Vice President Markus Ferber to all Members of the European Parliament, urging them to adopt a firm stance on the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 and to press for a Treaty reform under Article 48 TEU.

What the letter asks for

In the letter, UEF calls on Parliament to adopt a resolution that:

Invites the European Commission to withdraw and replace its July 2025 MFF proposal, pursuant to Article 293(2) TFEU.
Refuses to enter into consent negotiations or interinstitutional trilogue talks based on the current MFF package, unless significant changes are made.
Conditions further engagement on a positive response by the European Council to Parliament’s prior resolution of 22 November 2023, which called for a Convention and Treaty reform under Article 48 TEU.

UEF argues that the existing MFF proposal risks renationalising Cohesion Policy, weakening shared management, under-funding European public goods (in areas like defence, critical technologies, green transition), reducing the role of EU own resources, and concentrating decision-making at the national level while diluting Parliament’s authority.

Significance of the action

This mass appeal is part of UEF’s broader strategy to ensure that the next EU budget and the architecture of EU governance align with federal, democratic, and accountable principles. By engaging directly with MEPs across political groups, UEF aims to build a cross-party coalition that demands:

A strong EU-level financing framework, rooted in genuine own resources;
A cohesion policy maintained as a union policy beyond purely national envelopes;
A governance model preserving Parliament’s prerogatives and democratic oversight;
A Treaty reform that allows Europe to evolve beyond unanimity blocks.

Domènec Ruiz Devesa (UEF President) and Markus Ferber (Vice-President) co-signed the letter, signalling the importance UEF places on both parliamentary engagement and structural reform.

What’s next

We will closely monitor how MEPs react and whether they respond with a resolution reflecting these demands. UEF will also engage national chapters and civil society networks to push for sustained momentum in the coming months.

Stay tuned for updates — your support and mobilization in your country will be essential.

UEF_Letter_to_MEPs_MFF_2028-2034_and_Treaty_Reform Download