Federalist manifesto for the European elections on June 9, 2024

Posted by Heinrich Kuemmerle on March 27, 2024 at 18:48 p.m

The present “Federalist Manifesto for the European elections on June 7, 9” can be viewed as a result of the 2024th Hertenstein Talks.

 

We, the non-partisan European Union of Germany (EUD) and the Young European Federalists (JEF), draw attention to the opportunities that lie in the European elections.

Around 400 million Europeans will be able to take part in the tenth European Parliament elections. In Germany, for the first time, thanks to the lowering of the minimum voting age to 16, more young people have the opportunity to have a say and take part in democracy in Europe.

Despite or precisely because of all the crises that characterize our time, we want to promote a new departure. The European elections offer the opportunity to do this. Our political and federalist demands have always been visionary. In many cases they have already become reality. We rely on the European idea.

In this Federalist Manifesto, which is based on the Hertenstein Theses and the Düsseldorf Program, we formulate our non-partisan expectations of the politicians who will bear responsibility in and for Europe in the years 2024 to 2029. Given developments in the world, there is not much time left to make Europe independent and sustainable. We therefore describe a Europe for which the necessary decisions must be made in the coming years, if necessary by leading the way by a group of member states prepared to do so.

Democratic Europe

1. Our Europe is democratic, constitutional and pluralistic! Our goal is and remains the European federal state, a federally and subsidiary organized Europe of citizens.
2. Democracy and the rule of law must be affirmed again and again and resolutely defended both internally and externally! They are not self-evident. Therefore, Europe must strengthen its institutions and the instruments for preserving and internally enforcing its liberal order. This also includes effective sanction mechanisms for violations of the principles of democracy and the rule of law. It is also important to prevent illegitimate influence through transparency, independent control and effective anti-corruption rules.
3. The European Parliament needs a right of initiative! A uniform European electoral law with a Europe-wide voting age of 16 and with a first vote for national and regional candidacies and a second vote for lists of European parties strengthens representative democracy. Better participation of citizens in Europe is important!
4. Europe belongs to its citizens, which is why they must be effectively and sustainably involved in decision-making processes. Organized civil society with its diverse associations and clubs, especially youth associations, is an expert in the issues it advocates for and should be respected as such. In order to do justice to its valuable contribution to key future issues, it should be integrated into a structured dialogue in the run-up to parliamentary decisions and beyond in the spirit of a participatory and deliberative democracy and a strengthening of the European Citizens' Initiative.
5. The unanimity rule must be replaced by majority decisions in all policy areas! We want decisions on expansions and treaty changes to be made with qualified majorities or through Europe-wide referendums, for which every EU citizen has an equal vote.
6. The Parliament, as the representative of the citizens, decides on income and expenditure as well as on all European laws on an equal footing with the Council. The EU Commission becomes a government proposed by Parliament and confirmed by the Council.
7. Preserving and restoring media freedom and media diversity, where necessary by breaking up monopolies, and a determined fight against disinformation are of strategic importance for the future of democracy in Europe. Europe needs strong common media supervision, diverse private media offerings that are not concentrated in a few hands, and fully independent, non-partisan public media. More transnational media offerings strengthen Europe-wide discourses and thus the European public.
8. Every democracy needs responsible citizens! Political education and European education, both in formal schools and adults as well as through non-formal educational offerings, are effective means of raising democratic awareness and combating disinformation. The EU must set minimum standards for political education in curricula at all levels and in all types of schools, strengthen Europe-wide exchange programs and democracy promotion programs and ensure the Europe-wide recognition of educational achievements.
9. Young people are already taking responsibility for the future of Europe. As workshops for democracy, youth associations give them the space to articulate their wishes and criticism. In order to take their interests into account, effective and transparent participation in political processes as well as structural support and needs-based financing of their activities are required. Existing education and youth support programs as well as participation strategies must be strengthened.
10. All states in Europe [European nature] that are committed to European values ​​and adopt European law have a right to join the European Union. At the same time, the EU must remain able to act. We therefore support the European Parliament's proposals for treaty reform and call for the timely establishment of a European Convention
11. We are committed to Europe's cultural heritage, particularly the Enlightenment and humanism. Our Europe is and remains united in diversity! We reject all forms of discrimination. The further inclusion of marginalized groups in political, social and economic life remains of paramount importance for the peaceful, democratic and federal integration of our continent. This includes full gender equality. This also applies to consistently involving young people in political decisions and prioritizing their concerns.

    A Europe capable of acting

12. After the world wars, Europe emerged as a peacemaking power. The European idea of ​​peace must remain the core of European identity and must be defended. Europe's concept of security is not limited to the military dimension. It includes the social sustainability goals of the United Nations and is seen as a social responsibility that must be taken into account in all policy areas. A Europe capable of acting strengthens the rules-based multilateral order!
13. A fair trade policy and rules-based foreign policy are part of a comprehensive European security concept that the EU is consistently developing. Europe is committed to the goals of the United Nations – “global peace, security and disarmament, the development of friendly relations between states, the promotion of human rights through international cooperation” – and serves to achieve them.
14. Due to demographic change, the European Union needs regulated legal immigration. It must offer secure admission to politically persecuted people and recognized refugees. The EU therefore needs a common, solidarity-based and human rights-compliant migration policy that regulates asylum, international protection, targeted labor migration and integration and, through international cooperation, actively contributes to combating the causes of flight and thus helps the vast majority of refugees within their countries of origin and to neighboring countries flee.
15. Nationalism means war, European federalism ensures peace! That is why we are committed to a European Defense Union and a strengthening of the transatlantic alliance. The aim is to make aggressive wars in or from Europe impossible, to deter potential aggressors and to contribute to peace and stability in Europe's neighborhood.
16. The Defense Union has a European Army [European Armed Forces] controlled by Parliament. To achieve this, the costly and ineffective fragmentation of Europe's defense systems must be overcome. A common European procurement policy ensures the necessary synergy effects and paves the way for the European Defense Union. We call for the creation of the office of a Defense Commissioner.

    Sustainable Europe

17. The Europe we want is sustainable! In the sense of the United Nations' sustainability goals, we understand this to be a broad term that encompasses the entire economic and social life, in addition to climate and environmental protection. Economic sustainability must not be ignored either.
18. We are therefore committed to a Europe that cleverly combines sustainability with equal opportunities and a regulatory policy that releases creative forces, breaks through oligopolies and shapes transformation processes in the interest of social permeability, expanded participation and greater social stability.
19. The economic core of the European Federation has already been created with the European internal market. This needs to be further completed and consistently aligned with sustainability and social cohesion in the interests of international competitiveness, fair competition and market access. The European Pillar of Social Rights must be implemented and further developed!
20. We call for a cohesion policy that is not limited to regional and structural funding, but rather creates targeted incentives for private and public investments in order to equalize living conditions in Europe's regions. These include, not least, European financing of future investments, harmonization of tax policy, more European own resources, a European minimum wage, European unemployment reinsurance, a permanent instrument to support short-time work regulations (such as SURE) as well as further improvements to social dialogue and social security systems in the Member States. The aim must be to overcome extreme imbalances that can endanger the continued existence of the Union and its further development into a federation.
21. Limiting global warming and preserving biodiversity are tasks facing humanity. We expect the implementation of the European Green Deal by the member states! The global expansion of climate-neutral energies, especially solar and wind energy, and sustainable mobility are top priorities. Europe can best meet the challenges associated with this together. Principles of democracy and the rule of law as well as effective sanction mechanisms. It is also important to prevent illegitimate influence through transparency, independent control and effective anti-corruption rules.

 

This manifesto is also available for registered users to download in PDF format.