Some thirty political figures - including Romano Prodi, Jean-Claude Juncker, Danuta Hübner, Erkki Liikanen and Sylvie Goulard - set out their vision, at the beginning of October, of a “gradual and pragmatic federalism” to enable the European Union to function with more than thirty member countries and to meet the challenges it faces “in a world of growing threats and temptations to withdraw”.
“Member States will need to decide collectively whether they want to be joint leaders or isolated followers. If their choice is to lead, it will become necessary to empower the EU accordingly”, say the authors of the manifesto. “This does not mean fast-forwarding to an unrealistic European federation. Instead, it calls for a new articulation between national policies (horizontal coordination) and between the national and the EU level (vertical coordination)”, they add.
They put forward seven key elements: (1) a fundamental reform of the EU budget which should include “a central fiscal capacity to supply European public goods” in the triple green, digital and social transition backed by “credible Own Resources”; (2) new fiscal rules to pursue economic and social convergence and sustainable public finances; (3) further integration of financial markets and the definition of a fully-fledged crisis management system; (4) an industrial policy stimulating innovation and combined with skilled workers; (5) a revamped State aid policy aimed at strengthening the single market as well as tools to safeguard the EU’s role in international value chains; (6) a common education and training strategy as well as concrete programmes for including migrants in EU labour markets as a fundamental stepping-stone of an EU immigration policy; (7) a common EU security and defence policy within NATO, but having sufficient autonomy and visibility.
In addition to these key elements, the authors stress the importance of rethinking the EU Council’s decision-making system in order to avoid paralysis and with a view to future enlargements. “Let us be aware that there are flexible ways to allow isolated dissent not to become a veto, whilst at the same time protecting the dissenting member from the effects of the decision”, say the authors.
To see the manifesto: https://aeur.eu/f/8yr (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)