Berlin, 12/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - German Foreign Minister Joshka Fischer, in an address on 12 May at Humboldt-Universität in Berlin entitled "From Confederation to Federation - Reflections on the Purpose of European Integration", described what he sees as possible stages in the development of a European federation. He made it clear that he was not expressing the position of the German government, but that he wished to contribute to debate on the future perspectives of European integration "well beyond the next decade and the present Intergovernmental Conference", as a "confirmed European and German MP".
The need for the EU to organise in parallel its enlargement to both the East and the South and to "put the final stone to the edifice of European integration, namely political integration", is the greatest challenge facing the Union since its foundation, observed Mr Fischer, noting that this requires "visionary strength" and pragmatism similar to that demonstrated by Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman, and that a good deal will depend upon France and Germany. The forthcoming enlargement (which he sees as being in Germany's national interest) imposes a choice between "erosion or integration", said Mr Fischer, who considers it indispensable to engage in reflection now on how the wider Europe can function after the enlargement process. And Joshka Fischer raises a number of concrete questions: "How do we envisage a European Council of 30 Heads of State and Government? Thirty Presidencies? How long will Council sessions last? Days or even entire weeks? (...) How can we keep the EU from definitively losing all transparency, or keep compromises from becoming increasingly intangible?" In his view, there is a "very simple response" to these questions: the Union's transformation to "full parliamentarism, in a European federation that Robert Schuman was already recommending 50 years ago". This will require, alongside the European Parliament, a "European government" exercising legislative and executive functions within the federation.
European political integration cannot be completed against existing national institutions and traditions and must be based on "a sharing of sovereignty by Europe and the nation state", observed Mr Fischer. This "shared sovereignty" means that the European Parliament must always represent two things, a Europe of nation states and a Europe of citizens, which is possible if the European Parliament is composed of two houses, one of which would be formed of Members who are also Members of their national Parliament. This sharing of sovereignty also requires a "constitutional treaty" establishing what will be handled at European level and what will continue to be handled at national level, affirmed Mr Fischer (who, it will be recalled, had already spoken of a "European constitution" shortly after his entry into the Schröder government, Ed.). This will not mean the abolition of the nation state, affirmed the Minister, who added that the federation must be both agile and capable of taking action. Indeed, the future European Constitution must essentially be "anchored in fundamental rights, human and citizens' rights, a balanced separation of powers between the European institutions and a specific delineation of the areas governed by Europe and those governed by the nation states".
Is this vision of a European federation achievable if Europe continues the method of integration being used so far, or should this method be called into question? Mr Fischer, recalling the responses to this "dilemma" suggested by Jacques Delors, Helmut Schmidt and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, (and, in 1994, by Karl Lamers and Wolfgang Schäuble with their suggestions for a "Kerneuropa"), commented that the EU must ask itself a number of questions in the coming years: Will a majority of Member States make "the leap to full integration", agreeing first on a European constitutional treaty with a view to founding a European federation? Or will a smaller number of states pave the way, acting as an "avant garde", i.e. a "centre of gravity formed of several states"? When is the right time? Who will participate? According to Mr Fischer, in any case, one thing is certain: without the closest Franco-German cooperation, even in the future, no European undertaking will succeed.
Looking beyond the next decade, Mr Fischer sees development occurring in two or three stages:
- first, the development of enhanced cooperation between states wishing to cooperate more closely than the others. According to Mr. Fischer, one could in this way move forward in many fields: changing the euro 11 into a "politico-economic Union", the environment, combating crime, asylum and immigration policy, and, "naturally", in the foreign and security policy too (but, he stresses, enhanced cooperation must not bee seen as an "abandonment of integration");
- an intermediary stage before completion of Political Union could consist in the setting up of a "centre of gravity" made up of States which would conclude a new "fundamental European treaty that would be the core to a Federation Constitution". This would involve their own institutions, "a government which, within the EU, would have to speak as one on behalf of the members of the group", on as many issues as possible, a strong Parliament, a directly elected president. This should constitute the "vanguard, the driving force" for the completion of political integration, and already contain all the elements of a future federation. "I know full well that the notion of a federation irritates the British, but so far I have not found another word", Fischer admitted, saying that he did not want to "provoke" anyone. He went on to stress that the vanguard should never be exclusive, but remain open to all, including candidate countries (as it would be "historically absurd and deeply insane" for Europe to again be divided at the very moment it has finally again reunited).
- the last step would be the completion of integration, in a European Federation. Let there be no misunderstanding, Mr. Fischer stipulated: enhanced cooperation would not lead to "automatism", and "the step that leads from enhanced coopration to a constitutional treaty" will demand a deliberate political act of the re-founding of Europe".
"That is my personal vision of the future: from enhanced cooperation to a constitutional treaty and the completion of the grand idea of Robert Schuman, a European federation. This could be the right path!", Fischer concluded.
Positive and negative reactions of MEPs
Several German members of the European Parliament immediately reacted to the important address by Joschka Fischer. The reaction of the President of the EPP Group, Mr. Poettering was negative, that of Mr. Brok (also CDU member) was less forthright and Social-Democrat Mr. Leinen positive. We shall return.