31/08/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Union of European federalists (UEF) chaired by the MEP Jo Leinen welcomed the resignation of Jean-Pierre Chevenement, French Minister of the Interior who, according to the press release, "neither understood nor accepted the project of a political Europe and the role of regions in contemporary society". After this resignation, the Federalists say the hope that in France "not only the Gaullists, Liberals and Ecologists, but equally the Socialists in government, will be capable of discussing the federal solutions for France and Europe freely". The Federalist is "the only model that can guarantee diversity in unity on the national just as well as on the European level", affirms the press release, while noting that "many Sates have already initiated discussions and reforms to adopt this modern concept of government", and that the UEF "expects from France to open at its turn a true debate on a new democratic "governance" model".