The most important election this century

This May it is time for Europeans to go to the polls in an election that in many respects is special and maybe even critical to Europe's democratic future.
For the first time , the voters have the opportunity to directly influence who will become the European Commission's next president. This is done by the major party groups in the EP in advance nominated its candidate for the presidency, which roughly means that the post-election largest party group's candidate becomes the next Commission president.

It is a commendable initiative to strengthen European level democracy by the EU party groups and to give the Commission greater legitimacy among the European citizens without any major reforms that would require new treaties between the national governments.

There is allot more to be desired when it comes to democratic reform of the EU but it is above or "below" the powers of the Parliament. It is in the hands of our national governments and parliaments. 
Unfortunately, the resistance at national level about giving more power to the voters over European politics are great.

Parliament elections in May, however have a great potential to bring democracy much needed focus and put it on the agenda for future national elections in Europe.

Cameron and Europe

British Prime Minister drives a European policy and a campaign that means that a number of common rules would be scrapped. Cameron have repeatedly turned against Europe's environmental rules governing the minimum standards in environmental protection. Cameron also criticized Europe's labor rights and freedom of movement.

The conclusion is that the conservative Cameron does not believe that European environmental policy is too lame and that the big losers of Cameron's European policy is without a doubt, the environment, labor laws and the free movement of citizens .

Cameron also wants to renegotiate the British membership. It's primarily about the membership fee and the British rebate. It's not about saving necessary pounds to the British exchequer but in practice what Cameron believes that Britons should contribute with to the smaller economies in the Union. In other words, solidarity and one of the Union pillars are under attack.
This is what Cameron calls British leadership in Europe.

At home, Cameron plays on nationalist winds by criticizing the EU and especially the forces that want to reform by democratizing and federalazing Europe.

Democracy can give confidence back to the people.

The European Union is not a western project, the eastern states have just as a big role in the building of the European house. All the people of Europe share the same struggle for democracy, safety and economic development, then and now!

The freedom that was won by the people in the eastern states during the late eighties and early nineties gave the union a much needed injection of development and enlargement.

The current economic, social, political and democratic crisis could do the same for the union.
The European Union needs a new injection of democracy in all "levels" of government from the north to the south to the heart of Brussels.

Democracy is the way forward for Europe and only more democracy can give confidence back to the people.      

Öppet brev till ordförande för Europeiska kommissionen, ordföranden för Europeiska rådet och ordföranden för Europaparlamentet. (Swedish translation)

Öppet brev till ordförande för Europeiska kommissionen, ordföranden för Europeiska rådet och ordföranden för Europaparlamentet 

José Manuel Barroso, Herman van Rompuy, Martin Schulz

Vi är djupt oroade över Europas framtid.

Den pågående politiska, sociala och ekonomiska krisen hotar att återigen dela upp kontinenten. Misslyckandet med att effektivt hantera krisen har skapat en stor misstro mot unionens institutioner bland sina egna medborgare. Populism och nationalism är på uppgång i alla medlemmsstater och i kölvattnet av krisen finns starka politiska krafter som öppet förespråkar en upplösning av vår union. Detta är en mycket farlig utveckling! Krisen har också lett till skapandet av ett antal organisationer bestående av engagerade medborgare som förespråkar ett mer demokratiskt, starkare och solidariskt Europa. Dessa organisationer och individer tar olika initiativ och skapar forum för debatt, information och kampanjer för att öka medborgarnas deltagande i uppbyggnaden av det framtida Europa.

Vi är alla mycket stolta över vad EU har åstadkommit under de senaste 60 åren men vi ser också att det mellanstatliga systemet inte längre kan möta utmaningarna i det moderna Europa. Detta system har också en top down-strategi som skapar en stor klyfta mellan ledare och medborgare. Vi söker efter alternativ till detta system. Vi söker delaktighet, demokrati och ansvarsutkrävande. Det demokratiska underskottet kan inte längre tolereras.

Krisen har gjort det mycket klart att om vi ska rädda Europa måste vi bygga om och reformera EU, inte bara ekonomiskt utan även socialt och politiskt. Vi står vid ett vägskäl där vägen vi väljer kommer att påverka många generationer framöver. Detta är utan tvekan den största utmaningen som det enade Europa har mött.

Europa går mot en federation eller en upplösning. Ett uppbrott skulle sannolikt flytta Europa mot en ny era av divisioner och kriser som ingen av oss vill uppleva eller lämna som ett arv till våra barn och barnbarn. Allt fler medborgare ser ett federalt Europa som den mest pragmatiska och långsiktiga lösningen för Europa. Frågan är, skall denna federation baseras på ett fundament av medborgare eller på nationalstaterna?

Detta brev speglar den starka övertygelsen som en grupp av EU-medborgare från många medlemsstater har och vi inbjuder, ordförande José Manuel Barroso, ordförande Herman Van Rompuy och ordförande Martin Schulz till att främja en ny fas i reformen av Europeiska unionen, mot en demokratisk federation av medborgare.

För ett Europa vi alla vill leva i!

Brevet i orginal hittar du här.

The year of citicens

2013, the year of citicens draws to a end and it would be fitting to make a short evaluation.

YOC was initiated by the Union as a means to get closer to the people or perhaps the citizens closer to the Union.

What's the result? 

The first question should be if the majority of the citizens are familiar with the YOC and its purpose.
The second question, if it brought them closer to the Union.

Something that must be raised as a very good example in this evaluation is the vice presidents citizenship dialog. It is unprecedented in European and national politics that a leader of this magnitude are meeting with citicens for a open dialog in this way.
The dialogue, however, would have made a greater impact with better media coverage and a greater commitment and support from national governments.

On the negative YOC just confirmed  that European institutions is a extension of national governments and therefore lacks the ability to single-handedly push for closer ties to the citizens.

My conclusion is therefore that Europe needs independent democratic institutions acting within a given mandate independent of national governments. This means that national representation to the union must be independent from national governments. (more on this later)

YOC was without a doubt a great attempt by EU institutions to narrow the gap to its citicens but without the right tools to properly succeed.

Comment on paper No 1 European federalist papers.

To the paper

"If you have to cut down on your national agenda in favor of a greater general interest, you always return home as a loser."

What could be more true in European politics today?

Our national leaders are so depended on scoring short term points to get a head in the national polls, that the common good of the people often are neglected or comes, second hand.

How could it come to this? Our union was created for our common good. Not so one could say, I'm the winner. 
The author blames the system of intergouvermentalism. I agree!

Intergouvermentalism is a system that long ago got outrunned by the  growing European integration. It's a governing system that lost every connection with the citizens and therefore have no accountability.

The crisis that still hunts the people of Europe, have in a scary way made it clear just how inefficient and out of touch this system is.

"The European Union is being eaten away from within. And that is caused by the actual structure of the intergovernmental system."

Once again I agree!

The system creates more division then unity. Us and them mentality, that only creates short term winners and long term losers.

No one could imagine there member state being governed with a similar system for obvious reasons.

"As a result, we now have in the European Union no fewer than four persons who may argue that they are President of the European Union: the President of the European Parliament, the interim President of the European Union, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council. Who could ever create a situation like that? What organization can cope with this?"

This quote says it all!

Can anyone of these presidents be held accountable? Who answers to the people?

We need Europe, Europe needs us, the people!
It's about time that we demand and build a system where the power comes from the people.

Portuguese translation of citizens open letter

Carta aberta para o Presidente da Comissão Europeia; Presidente do Conselho Europeu e para o Presidente do Parlamento Europeu Exmos.

Senhores José Manuel Barroso, Herman Van Rompuy, Martin Schulz

Estamos profundamente preocupados com o futuro da Europa. A contínua crise política, económica e social está uma vez mais a colocar a união do continente em risco. As consecutivas falhas nos projetos anticrise têm feito aumentar o nível de desconfiança das instituições da União entre os próprios cidadãos. O populismo e nacionalismo continuam também a aumentar em todos os estados-membros, assim como também erguem-se fortes vozes partidárias que defendem o fim da nossa União. Estamos claramente perante um desenvolvimento muito perigoso.

Com a crise temos vindo também a assistir a um crescimento de organizações na Europa. Criadas pelos seus cidadãos, essas organizações estão a trabalhar para uma Europa mais democrática, mais forte e mais solidária. Através diferentes iniciativas, fóruns, debates e campanhas de informação, as organizações querem fazer aumentar a participação das pessoas na construção de uma Europa para os cidadãos.

Estamos orgulhosos com o que a Europa conseguiu atingir ao fim de 60 anos, mas também vemos que o sistema intergovernamental não consegue dar resposta aos desafios de uma Europa moderna. Como consequência, este sistema tem gerado um afastamento entre os governos e as populações. Os cidadãos estão à procura de diferentes alternativas a este sistema. Procuram uma maior participação, responsabilidade e democracia. O défice democrático que frequentemente tem atormentado a União Europeia não pode ser mais tolerado.

A crise deixou claro que nós devemos salvar a Europa, precisamos de reconstruir e reformar a Europa, não apenas economicamente mas também a nível politico e social.

É como estivéssemos prestes a escolher um caminho. O caminho que vamos escolher, afetará muitas gerações futuras. Estamos a enfrentar sem dúvida, o maior desafio para uma Europa unida.

A Europa está a caminhar para uma federação ou teremos uma desintegração. Uma desintegração na Europa levaria a uma nova Era de divisões e crises que nenhum de nós gostaria de viver, ou então deixar passar para as próximas gerações. Cada vez mais os cidadãos veem uma Europa Federal como a mais pragmática, assim como uma solução de longo prazo. A questão que se coloca é se essa mesma federação deve ter como base os seus cidadãos ou os seus estados-membros?

Esta carta reflete a forte convicção de um grupo de cidadãos Europeus de vários estados-membros e convidamos V. Ex.ª Presidente José Manuel Barroso; Presidente Herman Van Rompuy e Presidente Martin Schulz para promover uma nova fase de reforma na União Europeia focada numa federação democrática para os cidadãos.

Por uma Europa na qual todos nós queremos viver

União Europeia 2013 06 26

German translation of the citizens open letter

Liebe Präsidenten,

Wir sind tief besorgt über die Zukunft von Europas.

Die andauernde politische, soziale und ökonomische Krise droht den Kontinent abermals zu spalten.

Unter der Europäischen Bevölkerung hat die Krise angesichts einer wenig überzeugenden Krisenpolitik einen dramatischen Vertrauensverlust verursacht. Populismus und Nationalismus in allen Mitgliedsstaaten sind auf dem Vormarsch und politisch einflussreiche Stimmen treten offen für die Teilung der EU ein.

Das ist eine sehr bedrohliche Entwicklung!

Gleichzeitig hat die Krise zur Gründung diverser Organisationen engagierter Bürger geführt, die ein demokratischeres, stärkeres, und solidarisches Europa fordern. Diese Organisationen und Individuen haben verschiedene Initiativen ins Leben gerufen, Räume für Debatten und Informationen geschaffen und Kampagnen geführt, um die Partizipation von Bürgern beim Bau der Zukunft Europas zu stärken.

Die Errungenschaften Europas in den letzten 60 Jahren sind eine großartige Leistung. Dennoch stellen wir fest, das zwischenstaatliche System ist nicht mehr in der Lage, den Anforderungen des modernen Europas gerecht zu werden. Zudem erzeugen die steilen Hierarchien dieses Systems eine große Lücke zwischen Entscheidungsträgern und Bürgern. Die Bevölkerung suchen nach einer Alternative für dieses auf mehrere Ebenen verteilte System.

Das demokratische Defizit, der immer-währende Makel der EU wollen wir nicht länger tolerieren. Die Krise hat sehr deutlich gemacht, dass Europa nur durch eine Neuaufstellung und Reformen gerettet werden kann - nicht nur ökonomisch, sondern auch  politisch und in Fragen gesellschaftlicher Solidarität.

Wir stehen an einem Scheitelpunkt. Der Weg, den wir gehen, wird viele Generationen beeinträchtigen. Ohne Zweifel ist dies die größte Herausforderung, mit der das vereinigte Europa bisher konfrontiert wurde. Europa bewegt sich auf eine Föderation oder ein Auseinander-Brechen zu. Letzteres würde wahrscheinlich zu einer neuen Ära der Abgrenzungen und Krisen führen, die niemand von uns erleben oder unseren Kindern überlassen will.

Eine wachsende Zahl von Bürgern sieht in einem föderalen Europa  die beste pragmatische und langfristige Lösung für Europa. Die Frage ist, soll diese Föderation auf seinen Bürgern oder Nationalstaaten beruhen?

Dieser Brief gibt die starke Überzeugung einer Gruppe von Bürgern aus vielen Mitgliedstaaten wieder und läd Sie, Kommissions-Präsident José Manuel Barroso, Rats-Präsident Herman Van Rumpoy und Parlaments-Präsident Martin Schulz ein, ein neues Kapitel der Reformpolitik in der Europäischen Union hin zu einer demokratischen Föderation aufzuschlagen!

Für ein Europa, in dem wir Leben wollen.

EU, der 12.06.2013

Translated by Charian Grundmann

Federalize and democratize for pragmatic integration

There are many pragmatic reasons to federalize and democratize  Europe. There are also many areas where it would be necessary to democratize if deeper integration should be thinkable at all.

As a euro federalist I strongly believe that integration must have a pragmatic and a democratic purpose and order. The integration area should be strengthened and citizens must gain a greater influence over policy by integrating the specific area.

Some examples of areas meeting these requirements is foreign policy, defence policy and migration policy.
(I will get back to why these areas would be pragmatic to integrate in a coming post.)

They are also examples of areas where integration would be impossible or unacceptable without a democratic European Government and a democratic Constitution.