Britannia Radio

Under the auspices of the Kerneuropaverein –

Association for a Federal Core e.V.

President, Franco Spoltore, c/o MFE Pavia, via villa Glori 8, I-27100 Pavia

Secretary, Yves Lagier, UEF Franche Comté, 2, Place Payot, F- 25000 Besançon

Treasurer, David Schneider-Addae-Mensah, Heidenschanzweg 3, D-77694 Kehl

Press release

A EUROPEAN FEDERAL STATE-TO TACKLE THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

The financial crisis triggered by the bankruptcies and the difficulties of many American banking

institutions is spreading to Europe. And doubts are multiplying about the ability of the European Union,

and more particularly the Eurozone, to protect its own citizens from the consequences this crisis could

have on the economy, on trade and on development prospects. Once again the European Union is found

lacking the tools with which to act.

Without an effective European government behind it, that could react immediately to the

succession of events, the Central Bank and the Euro are found to be still fragile bastions subject to the

unilateral initiatives of the individual member states. The contrast with what has happened in the USA

could not be sharper: while Washington debates the qualities and defects of the anti-crisis plan, approved

by Congress, Brussels doesn't even know where to start from, because in the final analysis, decisionmaking

power, in this field too, is in the hands of the national governments.

Making a fool of itself, the European Commission is urging the Americans to show a sense of

responsibility, without even realising that in recent times the Europeans have done nothing to prevent the

United States making the serious mistakes they did both in foreign policy and financial and economic

policy; just as they did nothing to untie the knot in the energy sector, and the policy towards Russia and

the Middle East, which have contributed and continue to contribute to aggravating the situation.

When it comes to the Member States the picture is equally alarming. While France and Germany

are finding it hard to agree on a joint European plan, the smaller countries try to get by as best they can,

unloading their crisis onto their neighbours, as in the case of Ireland, or trying to save the national coffers

from acquisition by other large European banks, as in the case of the Benelux countries during the rescue

of Fortis. Once again it is European disunion rather than Union that prevails.

Some commentators, such as Leparmentier on Le Monde, are starting to say that we need a

European federal approach, but go no further than supporting the vague French plan of financial and

economic coordination based on setting up a European guarantee fund outside of any federal institutional

framework. We are seeing the usual comedy of errors. France appeals for a sort of European fund without

specifying if, how, and with whom it wants to create federal institutions. Germany answers that the

functioning of the European Union is based on subsidiarity and not on the help of a central authority. Italy

limits itself to reaffirming, with egoistic provincialism, that she will not be touched by the crisis.

For better or for worse, in America, but not exclusively, the State is taking action once again and,

after years of irresponsible deregulation, is once again acting as the regulator and redistributor of debt and

wealth in society. In the divided Europe, on the other hand, the individual States are wriggling out of their

responsibilities because they are not large enough to control or tackle the effects of the possible collapse

of some banking colossus or other, which has now grown well beyond the confines of its national borders.

The time has come therefore for Europeans to question themselves on the direction of the

European integration process, its aims, the anachronism of their little States and on which basis they

intend to found their prospects for the development and welfare of future generations. The current

European Union, despite the successes achieved, is no framework for getting to grips with and winning

such challenges. Nor can we believe that the Central Bank and the European currency can do it either,

without a European State and without a government. Only in a true European federation could one

reconstruct the virtuous circle of currency, economy, government, foreign policy and democratic control of

economic development. But just as such a Federation can no longer be based within the current

institutional structure, it is also necessary to relaunch the construction of Europe outside of the existing

Treaties, which by now do not offer scope for progress towards federal aims. This is why we urgently need

Komitee für den Europäischen Bundesstaat

Committee for a European Federal State

Comité pour l'Etat Fédéral Européen

Comitato per lo Stato federale Europeo

Comité voor de Europese Federale Staat

www.euraction.org - euralert@euraction.org

Under the auspices of the Kerneuropaverein – Association for a Federal Core e.V.

President, Franco Spoltore, c/o MFE Pavia, via villa Glori 8, I-27100 Pavia

Secretary, Yves Lagier, UEF Franche Comté, 2, Place Payot, F- 25000 Besançon

Treasurer, David Schneider-Addae-Mensah, Heidenschanzweg 3, D-77694 Kehl

the creation of a first core of a European federal state equipped with the tools and resources to act

effectively in the new global equilibrium.

At the time of the Maastricht Treaty, the initiative and determination of a group of countries

prevented Great Britain from blocking monetary union and the birth of the Euro. Today it is quite clear that

the responsibility for taking the initiative to create the European federation lies with the founding countries,

the corresponding political classes and institutions, and primarily those of France, Germany and Italy,

which first took it upon themselves, after the Second World War, to start the process of the political

unification of the Europeans.

What we need is for the political parties and all the active forces of the societies of these

countries, for whom the destiny of Europe in the world is still at heart, to ask their respective governments

and parliaments to commit themselves as soon as possible to building the foundations of a first core of a

European federal state. Otherwise, Europeans will remain at the mercy of the developments of the

financial crisis and the balances of power between powers outside Europe, and will even strongly risk

jeopardising the model social State on which the welfare of the citizens of Europe itself has been founded

for decades.

3 October 2008

===================

Press release

A PHONEY UNION CANNOT BE REFORMED

IT MUST BE FOUNDED ANEW

The result of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty has drawn attention to a state of

decision-making incapacity and confusion that was already all too clear to see. The fact that NO

to a so unambitious European reformed treaty, that doesn’t put unto question any significant

transfer of National sovereignty to the European level, has prevailed in a country which has so

much benefitted from having been member of the European Community since 1973, confirms

how far the political parties and leaders are from the public opinion and how dangerously they

are playing dice with the future of Europe. In spite of its major achievements in several fields, the

European Union has remained a phoney Union, whose reform is condemned to be characterised

by reticence, ambiguity, unpopularity and indefinite procrastination. The endeavour to achieve

continental unification, an endeavour that has allowed western Europe to enjoy more than half a

century of peace and prosperity, is running a serious risk of failure.

Can it really be hoped that the current Union might carry off in the coming years all that it

has failed to achieve to date? The answer is no.

Many of Europe's politicians, while their sights may not be set clearly on the objective of

federal unity, nevertheless appreciate that the salvation of the continent depends on a radical

strengthening of the Union's institutions. But as long as the reforms continue to be proposed in

the current 27-member framework the declarations they make and the proposals they advance

inevitably sound fanciful and propagandistic. It is now crucial for these politicians to realise that

any project whose aim is the creation of a solid political union has now become impracticable in

this setting. It is only by changing the framework that the relaunch of the process of the

European political unification can start moving again, and become irreversible.

Responsibility for starting this new era, rests on Europe's six founder states and, among

them, in particular to France and Germany.

It is up to them:

- to restart the process of building Europe outside the ambit of the existing Treaties, as

these now offer no room for progress in a federal direction;

- to enter into a federal pact, through which those states willing to do so will transfer to

Europe their sovereignty in the fields of defence and of foreign policy;

- to convene a constituent assembly, elected within the ambit of those countries that have

entered into the pact, which will receive a mandate to draw up the Constitution of a European

federal state that will remain open to all those countries subsequently wishing to join it, starting

from those which have already adopted the euro.

June 13th, 2008