YOUNG EUROPEANS TAKE FEDERAL UNION INTO THEIR OWN HANDS

EVENT REPORT | JULY 2021 https://eurac.tv/9TDB

With the support of YOUNG EUROPEANS TAKE FEDERAL UNION INTO THEIR OWN HANDS

EVENT REPORT | JULY 2021 https://eurac.tv/9TDB

As the Conference on the Future of Europe gains mo- mentum, young Europeans immersed themselves in a simulation of federal European structures. The project “Y-FED: Europe is what you make of it” implemented a new bloc constitution written by European youth in 2017, a dry run of a possible new Union, with federal institutions.

EURACTIV takes a closer look at the future of federal- ism within the EU, whether the idea holds relevance in today’s political climate and whether the Conference is likelier to drive or hinder the movement. Contents

EU chief: Far-right declaration on Europe’s future ‘hilarious’ 4 Conference on bloc future could give new purpose to 6 in We are struggling to get out of bed, but we still demand a 8 seat at the table 4 EVENT REPORT | YOUNG EUROPEANS TAKE FEDERAL UNION INTO THEIR OWN HANDS | EURACTIV

INTERVIEW EU federalist chief: Far-right declaration on Europe’s future ‘hilarious’

By Vlagyiszlav Makszimov | EURACTIV.com

MEP , Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) - Inaugural Plenary [Philippe STIRNWEISS/ 2021 - Source : EP]

n an interview with EURACTIV, on 2 July by far-right parties from Emphasising that these political federalist MEP Sandro Gozi 16 EU countries, including Frances’ actors want to preserve decision- Idismissed as “hilarious” calls by Rassemblement National, Poland’s making based on consensus, he said the European conservative and far- PiS, Hungary’s Fidesz, and ’s Lega, “they want a Europe of status quo.” right parties for a deep reform of the proposing a meeting in September. EU in view of the debate on the future “So we don’t understand why they of Europe, saying the demands reflect According to Gozi, the declaration, are so against Europe, they should be the bloc as it already exists. which he described as “pure thrilled with the Europe we have,” he communication action,” was strongly added. Gozi, who heads the Union of pushed by Le Pen and Orbán, who are European Federalists (UEF), was both facing tough national elections Instead, Gozi said that federalists referring to a joint statement issued next year. have to build a different alliance

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Continued from Page 4 within the conference, where he’s in the European Parliament said. help to regain the confidence and the “sure we are a large majority.” trust of the citizens.” “It is a very balanced and He said that the current global democratic distribution of power He added that the current crisis increased awareness what “the and competence, where we do debate on the future of EU is also an disappearance of Europe” means in together only what we really have to opportunity to “catch the attention” practice, with border closures and do together to be more effective,” he of citizens who do not understand export controls directly touching explained. how Brussels functions. If his citizens. federalist movement “wins the battle” “I think these are all elements, against nationalists it will also bolster He said it’s the “perfect moment” which blow the wind towards the support for Europe, he added. for federalist solutions. right direction. It is clear that as a navigator it is not enough that there In his view, Europeans’ complaints is a good wind, you need to have your about the EU come not because they sail, and you have to catch the wind,” are seeking less integration but he said. because the bloc lacks muscle. To achieve this, the federalists “They’ll be complaining because proposals include the creation of a Europe didn’t do enough, didn’t have stronger European budget, riddance enough power, didn’t go far enough,” of the unanimity requirement within he said. migration, security and defence issues and grant the European Parliament Offering the health crisis as an right to propose legislation, currently example, where the EU had little an exclusive privilege of the European legal competence, the former Italian Commission. under-secretary for European affairs said: “It is clear that a sovereign and “If we have to call it the Europe of democratic Europe, a Europe which Mickey Mouse, let’s call it the Europe is able to take back control on these of Mickey Mouse, what is important transnational issues, which go beyond that it is able to act,” Gozi said, the capacity of action of nation states seemingly in reference to former UK […] is a good answer to many of these prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s questions.” alleged comments dismissing the European Parliament as a “Mickey The president of the coalition Mouse” institution. uniting 23 national federally-minded organisations said the only issue of Europeans’ trust in European the movement is “semantic” as people projects has risen in recent years, confuse federalism with a centralised with latest data showing 49% percent super-state, which absorbs power and of people tend towards trusting the identity. EU. Nevertheless, trust remains well below pre-2008 financial crisis levels, “This is exactly the opposite of at 57% in 2007. federalism. Federalism is a protection of national identity, protection of Gozi puts this “distance, minorities in an effort to always find disaffection, fatigue of the citizens the best level of government,” be that towards politics” down to politics local, regional, national or European, being ineffective, adding that a Europe the liberal MEP from the Renew group of concrete, effective solutions “can 6 EVENT REPORT | YOUNG EUROPEANS TAKE FEDERAL UNION INTO THEIR OWN HANDS | EURACTIV Conference on bloc future could give new purpose to federalists in European Parliament

By Vlagyiszlav Makszimov | EURACTIV.com

207535303_320539556360711_9125942648234234006_n-1-1 [Sean Ellul/ JEF Europe]

he EU-wide exercise on the a tool that really allows citizens to future of the bloc could give be involved and people everywhere Delbos-Corfield expressed Tnew impetus to the federalist- to really embrace the European scepticism about the ability of the minded group in the European sphere”, Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield conference to advance the European Parliament who have been struggling told EURACTIV. She is part of the agenda. in the past years to connect with young gathering federally- Europeans. minded lawmakers in the European For the Spinelli Group, the Parliament. challenge is for the conference to not The Conference on the Future of become “a chat between MEPs who Europe has so far received widespread To involve real people in the live in the Brussels bubble, don’t get criticism for its potential to turn into discussion the EU institutions will out of it and convince themselves of a largely futile exercise of the Brussels organise citizens’ panels gathering things that they are already convinced elite speaking to itself. 200 randomly selected Europeans of”, the green MEP added. while reflecting the EU’s diversity. “I’m a bit concerned that it would However, many fear this will not be Delbos-Corfield described one be just a communication tool and not enough. of the first meetings of the Spinelli

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Group in the current parliamentary enhanced cooperation, which would Nevertheless, she said, a federated mandate, in 2019, which was supposed see a coalition of willing member union could be even more effective to make the transition between the states integrate further in areas at protecting national minorities older and newer members as very where there is a will to move forward, because a more general structure “concerning”. This was due to a lack which is seen in many but not all EU could represent “little scales” better of younger lawmakers of the previous countries. than states, which tend to leave generation, long and boring speeches minorities “blurred out”. as well as gender imbalance. Asked if this could lead to more fragmentation, he said “we already Lamenting the power member “I felt it was my duty to go to have a multi-speed Europe” with states still wield, she said federalism the Spinelli group, but I wasn’t that many exemptions and opt-outs and is ultimately about decision-making. enthusiastic, to be honest,” she told the bloc cannot afford to wait for a “It’s not about just everyone being the this website. consensus on all issues. same, it’s about acting together way stronger,” she said. In her view, the conference can YOUNG EUROPEANS TAKE give a new purpose to the group, CHARGE which for years was a “bit of federalist think tank next to the Brussels Meanwhile, while Brussels is bubble”. trying to involve citizens in the debate on the future of the bloc, some “What I can say is today, we have Europeans took matters into their new energy on the age point of view, own hands. there has been real renewal,” she added, stressing, however, that “we Last month, a group of European are still not there.” youth travelled to a simulation in Brussels that implemented a new bloc The change is reflected in the constitution written by their peers composition of the group’s board. A for a dry run of a possible new Union, quarter of its 16 members are women, with federal institutions. four are aged under 37. In comparison, only one MEP was under 37 in the “I was not that engaged with previous parliamentary mandate. federalism, but I wanted to see how it works,” said Anaïs Faucher, a That one young MEP was a social European law student who helped to democrat from Italy, Brando Benifei, organise the event and took part in it who now chairs the Spinelli group. as president of the lower chamber of parliament. For Benifei, nationalists want to reduce the debate on the future of Describing the simulations as Europe to a discussion where we seek the “greatest experience of my life”, the “least common denominator”. she remained sombre about the likelihood of achieving federated In contrast, he said, his group European institutions in the near needs to show an alternative to future. citizens and open a “real conflict” of ideas, allowing Europeans to choose a “I think it’s very utopian right now path forward. because people see federalism as a loss of nationality and community,” According to him, one way she told EURACTIV. forward is to usher in the age of more 8 EVENT REPORT | YOUNG EUROPEANS TAKE FEDERAL UNION INTO THEIR OWN HANDS | EURACTIV

PROMOTED CONTENT

DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this column reflect the views of the author(s), not of EURACTIV Media network. We are struggling to get out of bed, but we still demand a seat at the table

By Rebecca Gaff | JEF Europe (Young European Federalists)

[JEF Europe]

hile the coronavirus As part of the 22-month long pandemic has left a scar Y-FED: EUROPE IS WHAT youth-led project ‘Y-FED: Europe Won an entire generation WE MAKE OF IT is what we make of it’, currently of young people’s mental health; being implemented by the Young a youth-led political simulation ‘This is what I think of your European Federalists (JEF Europe), game has exposed the failure of European federation’, a young the simulation game of a large-scale governments to support its young participant representing a far-right model European federation is the people. political group stands up and rips largest and most ambitious event of his voting card in half, following the the project. Rebecca Gaff is a Project Assistant adoption of the amended legislation at the Young European Federalists (JEF on the European Green Deal. The simulation game requires Europe). young participants from all over

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Europe to step into the shoes of cycle. Cyprien Bettini, another The study was divided into the decision-makers, analysing legislative Y-FED participant, feels as though three key areas where young people texts through the lens of their assigned youth activists are shouting into the have been disproportionately affected political group and/or Member State. void, ‘‘for the last few years, I have by the pandemic: employment, This makes for an interesting game: seen more and more young people education and mental health. young people are pushed to think advocating for a better representation about a set of issues outside of their of their generation’’, he continues With youth unemployment on own worldview and, in the process, ‘‘nowadays, politicians are telling that the rise, young people are struggling better understand the democratic young people are lazy and do not care to support themselves during the machine into which legislative about politics. […] And for many who pandemic and beyond. One young proposals enter. tried, they quickly abandoned when participant of the study observed, they felt that their actions had no ‘‘students were the first to get fired This is what Y-Fed participant, impact on society. In other words, the because the owners were keener Robert Schuppan, describes as ‘‘subtle- older generations are still reluctant to on firing young people than those politics’’, pointing out that ‘‘it does yield power to younger ones.’’ who are in higher functions’’. As the not matter as much whether you are study points out, periods of inactivity, able to concede and deliberate on the THE ‘‘PROPER MEANS’’ FOR an inability to become financially content of the bill, but rather ones’ YOUTH ACTIVISM independent or put a university strategic skill to bend the procedural degree to use, all produce a collateral rules to the best of their ability and Reflecting on what the model ‘‘scarring effect’’ on young people that to create the (from their opinion) best simulation taught him, Cyprien extends into later life. result’’. concludes that, if equipped with the right tools and support, young people One of the most concerning parts If the event served to show can be the force society needs to of the study is the pandemic-induced anything, it demonstrated that the prosper, ‘‘From my perspective, Y-FED education loss on marginalised ability to critically evaluate any participants have sent a clear message youth, who are already massively given data through a variety of to policymakers: young people can underrepresented in the decision- competing perspectives, to effectively still understand politics and produce making process. With the shift to communicate in a multicultural and change if they are given the proper digital education, young people from multilingual space, and to exercise means.’’ immigrant heritage backgrounds compassion and compromise is not a highlighted that digital learning skill-set reserved only for adults with Yet, the ‘‘proper means’’ have never was not accessible for them. One 30 years of experience under their belt. been more compromised than in our young refugee remarked that many Yet, young people remain a portion of current global context. Many young families from the refugee community society which is rarely listened to, or people no longer have the ‘‘proper cannot afford the transition to digital actively ignored, especially when they means’’ to survive, never mind education, ‘‘with everything switched are not yet at voting age. participate in politics. online, families with maybe five children or four children that are in According to the Youth Progress The large-scale model simulation school are hoping on or banking on, Report 2021, if the world were a coincided with the publication of a your Mum’s one phone that she has’’. country, 55.3% of young citizens new study by the European Youth would be underrepresented in politics Forum on the impact of the ‘‘pandemic The link between education loss and would face barriers in accessing scar’’, a term used to describe the and unemployment to mental health their personal rights. adverse socio-economic wound borne is bidirectional, meaning that poor by the youth of today as a consequence mental health and wellbeing during This age-bias within the decision- of the global pandemic. the pandemic is also likely to worsen making process perpetuates a noxious their employment and educational

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Continued from Page 9 prospects after it. The study showed Young people may be struggling to that nearly two-thirds of young find the motivation to get out of bed, people are now affected by mental but giving them a seat at the decision- health issues. The so-called ‘‘laziness’’ making table is an alarm clock that of youth, then, is symptomatic of a demands to be heard. much wider concern— declining mental health.

TOWARDS A YOUTH- INCLUSIVE RECOVERY

With rapidly deteriorating mental health, the ability for young people to build a fulfilling and secure future for themselves is forecast to be one that only a select and privileged few can bank on.

Concerningly, the European Youth Forum study identified no responses from national policy-makers to support young people’s mental health during and beyond the pandemic. In fact, only 12 of 1,283 policy measures identified across the EU-27 countries and the UK target young people in general.

This self-perpetuating cycle only disempowers youth more: the more the youth are excluded from politics, the more they bear the brunt of its negative consequences.

It is extremely clear that our governments need to act today to deliver a youth-inclusive recovery, paying particular attention to digital accessibility for marginalised youth, increased income support and social protection, and promoting a more holistic approach to mental health which takes socio-economic factors into serious consideration. THE DUTCH BID FOR EMA

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Contact us Vlagyiszlav MAKSZIMOV Eastern Europe Reporter [email protected] tel. +33 767 00 18 02

Teresa DOMINGUEZ EU Affairs Senior Manager [email protected] www.netherlandsforema.eu tel. +32 (0) 47 601 78 26