On 24 February 2022, with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Europe entered a brand new section in Historical past.
To the horror provoked by this struggle, with its destruction and deaths, the Union has well timed reacted with energy, firmly condemning the navy aggression and implementing the broadest bundle of sanctions ever established towards Russia, additionally reaffirming its solidarity and assist for Ukraine, doing the whole lot potential to defend it and organising an efficient plan of navy and humanitarian help.
We categorical our assist for the actions and choices taken by the Union and your complete worldwide neighborhood in these troublesome occasions, reiterating our name for a right away finish to the clashes, the safety of the humanitarian corridors and the opening of negotiations of peace.
We additionally ask that the Union performs a number one position within the reconstruction of Ukraine, devastated by the dramatic humanitarian and financial penalties of the struggle and the lack of such an essential a part of its cultural heritage.
Obtain the very best of European journalism straight to your inbox each Thursday
On this context, the Union should do the whole lot potential to ensure peace, stability and respect of its basic values in all of the neighbouring nations of its territory and, whereas dashing up the accession procedures underneath approach with the West Balkans, should undertake to think about the candidacies just lately introduced as a part of a brand new technique of integration and strengthening of its governance.
Our deep concern for the sudden instability on this planet is accompanied by worry for the evident fragility of our safety and defence programs in addition to our basic values primarily based on peace, democracy, rule of legislation, solidarity and mutual recognition.
This struggle on the European continent erases all our certainties and illusions in regards to the non-reiteration of the horrors of the twentieth century and forces us to a profound revision of our political and institutional organisation.
As just lately underlined by a number of European personalities, “Historical past imposes on us a brand new constituent second…”
Certainly, this second has include unprecedented power and urgency.
In the course of the Covid19 disaster, the Union made a primary leap of solidarity. Now it’s a leap of citizenship that’s wanted, opening the best way to a reappropriation of the European undertaking by the residents, to permit the Union to enter a really democratic section, a political Union, the one one able to guaranteeing its lasting reinforcement in time.
Going through the good autocratic powers, the Union should assert itself as the primary nice citizen energy in historical past, with the energy of the whole lot that Europeans have already constructed collectively.
Time is ticking. The challenges we face are getting an increasing number of advanced and harmful every single day. The demand of Europe by no means ceases to develop. Let’s be as much as these expectations!
It’s this energy and this ambition which immediately push us in direction of a real political integration the place the variations between the member states, the contradictions between the neighborhood and the intergovernmental strategies, the impasses ensuing from the unanimous vote, the shortage of expertise in probably the most vital areas, the residents’ mistrust of a undertaking which they really feel excluded from, will lastly fade.
Residents count on Europe to guard them and lead robust motion, legitimised by a transparent authorized foundation and supported by efficient instruments.
The time has subsequently come to ascertain a brand new Founding Pact of the Union, by a considerable modification of the Lisbon Treaty.
A Pact which lastly makes it potential to attain the Union of defence, vitality, well being, economic system, work, social, training, tradition.
A Pact that ensures the energetic participation of all Europeans, lastly actors of their widespread future.
A Pact that reinforces the democratic nature of the Establishments and their working technique, reaffirming the attachment to the values of the Union corresponding to peace, democracy, justice, solidarity and respect for the rule of legislation.
A 12 months in the past, the Union launched the Convention on the Way forward for Europe – the primary concrete initiative for listening and dialoguing with all of European civil society.
Nevertheless, the struggle dangers marginalising, and even cancelling, all of the efforts behind this distinctive train within the historical past of the Union, if we aren’t capable of evaluate its aims in addition to its timetable.
The Convention is now de facto the perfect discussion board through which to launch, on the assembly on 9 Might – Europe Day –, the revision of the Treaty and the event of a brand new Founding Pact.
Time is ticking. The challenges we face are getting an increasing number of advanced and harmful every single day. The demand of Europe by no means ceases to develop. Let’s be as much as these expectations!
In February 1984 a bunch of French intellectuals, together with Edgar Morin, launched an enchantment on Le Monde with the provocative title: “Does it take a Third World Warfare to create the USA of Europe?”
The reply, after virtually 40 years, is unquestionably NO.
No to struggle!
Sure to a European Union that could be a actually democratic, political and residents’ one!
Signatories:
Guillaume Klossa (FR), Co-President of CIVICO Europa, enterprise supervisor, author;
Francesca Ratti (IT), Co-President of CIVICO Europa, former Deputy Secretary Normal of the European Parliament; Alberto Alemanno (IT), Professor of EU Legislation, HEC Paris; founding father of the Good Foyer; László Andor (HU), former European Commissioner, Secretary Normal of FEPS; Antonio Argenziano (IT), President JEF EUROPE; Enrique Baron Crespo (ES), former President of the European Parliament; Brando Benifei (IT), member of the European Parliament (EP); Gilbert Bourseul (FR), President of TOPICS; Mercedes Bresso (IT), former Member of the EP; former President of the Committee of the Areas; Marco Cappato (IT), Co-President of EUMANS, former Member of the EP; Daniel Cohn-Bendit (FR), former President of the Inexperienced Group within the EP; Carmelo Cedrone (IT), Head of the Laboratorio Europa, EURISPES; Alessia Centoni (IT), President of the Affiliation of European Girls, member of CIVICO Europa; Silvia Costa (IT), former MEP; Pier Virgilio Dastoli (IT), President of the European Motion, Italy; Alvaro de Vasconcelos (PT), former Director of the EU Institute for Safety Research; Cynthia Fleury (FR), thinker and psychoanalyst; Michele Fiorillo (IT), Thinker, member of CIVICO Europa; Virginia Fiume (IT), co-president of EUMANS; Vaira Vike-Freiberga (LV), former President of the Republic Sandro Gozi (IT), Member of the EP, President of the Union of European Federalists; former Minister of European Affairs; Olivier Guez (FR), author; Cristina Hernandez Montanari (ES), founding member of Alliance4Europe, EP official; Alain Hutchinson (BE), former Member of the European Parliament; Luca Jahier (IT), Member and former President of the Financial and Social Committee; Jo Leinen (DE), former Member of the EP; Niccolò Milanese (UK), Director of European Options; Sofie Oksanen (FI), author; Stojan Pelko (SI), former Minister of Tradition; Gianna Pentenero (IT), Councillor for Labour and Safety of the Metropolis of Turin; Gianni Pittella (IT), Italian Senator, former MEP; Maria João Rodrigues (PT), President of FEPS, former Minister, former MEP; Michael Roth (DE), Chairman of the Overseas Affairs Committee of the Bundestag, former State Secretary for European Affairs; Domènec Ruiz Devesa (ES), Member of the European Parliament; Jochen Sandig (DE), Director of the dance firm Sasha Waltz and Visitors; Fernando Savater (ES), thinker; Roberto Saviano (IT), author; Claus Haugaard Sorensen (DK), former Director Normal of the European Fee; Daniela Vancic, (SI), Democracy Worldwide, European Programme Supervisor; Luca Visentini (IT), Secretary Normal of the European Commerce Union Confederation; Sasha Waltz (DE), dancer and choreographer; Samuel Zbogar (SI), Head of the EU Workplace in Kosovo and the EU Delegation to North Macedonia; former Minister of Overseas Affairs; Slavoj Zizek (SI), thinker;