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Brussels, 29 May 2001 PRESS RELEASE LIONEL JOSPIN’S INSTITUTIONAL VISION: NOT ENOUGH The Union of European Federalists (U.E.F.) welcomes the fact that, during his speech of 28 May in Paris, French Prime Minister Lionel JOSPIN has focused the debate on the future of Europe on the question of its political finality. The U.E.F. shares the conviction that only a European federation can face the challenges of enlargement, globalisation, and environment. According to Mr JOSPIN, Europe should affirm itself as a community of values and an economic and social model. In the same line, the U.E.F. has been asking for years that a European Constitution establishes and guarantees the principles of democracy, subsidiarity and solidarity, citizens’ fundamental rights, pluralism, social justice, environmental protection. Lionel JOSPIN’s and prior speeches (of Fischer, Ciampi, Chirac, Rau, Schröder) encourage the U.E.F. to strengthen this campaign. Unfortunately, Mr JOSPIN’s vision of European federalism is insufficient for the U.E.F. In the way it is understood by Mr JOSPIN, the “excellent idea of a Federation of Nation States”, is abusively reduced to giving the current institutional system a different name – when this system has already proven on number of occasions its lack of ability to reach the aimed social objectives. Mr JOSPIN considers indeed that “strong federating elements are currently present”, and that “intergovernmental co-operation still has an important role to play and will remain essential”. The French PM wishes to prove that he is “determined to respond to the call of Europe” by safeguarding the so-called “equilibrium” of the current institutional triangle. On the contrary, Lionel JOSPIN’s proposals would even reinforce the imbalance between the EU institutions, existing de facto, in favour of the intergovernmental institutions, by advocating the European Council’s pre-eminence (given the right to dissolve European Parliament) and the Council of Ministers’ reinforcement. Proposals which, as a matter of fact, are not very clear in their content and do not really go beyond the current intergovernmental system. The fact that certain Heads of State and government dare to take the words “Constitution” and “Federation” into their mouths today does not mean that they have become aware of the need to endow citizens with the power of building Europe, a power which is currently in the hands of diplomats representing the Nation States. Contact : Bruno BOISSIERE (02/508.30.30)