Thinking Federalist

Launching the International Law of Youth Rights in Geneva

Monday 7th December 2015 in Geneva, I participated on behalf of JEF at the European Youth Forum’s Youth Rights Advocacy meeting. JEF is actively committed to the rights of young people and speaks up for a louder voice of Europe’s youth in politics, from our strong belief in the human rights principles of the European Union, as voiced in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights. Civic engagement of young people is crucial for the future of Europe and the world.

Friday 22 January 2016

Facing Paris attacks, the answer is more Europe

For almost the entire first half of the 20th century, Europe was subjected to great crises and tensions, which had their maximum expression in two big world wars. The first one brought the break-up of two great empires, the Austro-Hungarian and the Ottoman. The second one, Europe’s division into two big blocs: a democratic, capitalist and free bloc, and one subjected to a great empire, the Russian, leader of the communist ideology that caused so much suffering and oppression to our continent.

Tuesday 8 December 2015

JEF Official Statement on COP21

“A united European approach is essential to COP21”: JEF Europe calls for Europe to take the lead in Climate Negotiations

Monday 30 November 2015

JEF Official Statement on Paris Attacks

“There is no better answer to hatred than fraternity.” JEF Europe condemns Paris attacks

Saturday 14 November 2015

A European Aspiration

Europe is divided against itself. While the migration crisis has taken the spotlight, the rift between Northern Europe and Southern Europe is still a very real problem. What do these two halves of Europe share aside from a geographic continent? And how should European Federalists try to fight the divisions in Europe?

Monday 9 November 2015

Predicting the EU’s future with European Movement Finland

A while ago, I wrote about the event organised by European Movement Finland where the impact of Jean Monnet and Altiero Spinelli on European integration was discussed. The event was a part of a series of EU-related discussions. The second event of the series featured Tapio Raunio, Professor in Political Science from the University of Tampere and Petros Fassoulas, the Secretary General of European Movement International.

Sunday 8 November 2015

Vox Populi, Vox Europae? Why we need a common European legislation on referenda and why we need EU level referenda.

This year has been particularly challenging for democracy in the EU. Surely the Referendum in Greece on 5th of July regarding the Memorandum Agreement has been the highest point of this difficult year, which is going to end with another challenge. Some weeks ago a Dutch Eurosceptic platform managed to achieve enough signatures to trigger an advisory referendum on the EU-Ukraine.

Monday 2 November 2015

The European Perspective: Poland’s lurch to the right

The conservative right-wing party Law & Justice (PiS) has won the election. What does the victory of the party led by Jaroslaw Kaczyński mean for Poland’s relationship with the European Union? Below you can see the reactions of our respective Editors.

Thursday 29 October 2015

Federal Europe - utopia or real vision?

’Among peoples who are geographically grouped together like the peoples of Europe there must exist a sort of federal link. It is this link which I wish to endeavour to establish’ is a famous statement of Aristide Briand, Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic and co-laureate of the 1926 Nobel Peace Prize. Even though nearly one century has lapsed since then, we have to say that this citation is still very current despite the relatively successful integration process on the old continent over the last sixty years.

Thursday 29 October 2015

Founding fathers’ heritage in today’s EU

I recently participated in an event organised by European Movement Finland where the heritage of EU founding fathers, particularly that of Jean Monnet and Altiero Spinelli, was discussed. At the event that took place in Helsinki, Teija Tiilikainen from the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and Timo Miettinen from the Network for European Studies at the University of Helsinki shared their thoughts about the past and the present of the European Union. One of the main questions addressed by the speakers was, to what extent have the ideas of the founding fathers been put into practice?

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Schengen is not the problem, the lack of Europe is

Europe is closing its borders, both external and internal. Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic recently imposed border controls while images of Hungarian officers using water cannons and tear gas on migrants on its Serbian frontier hit the news. These developments have already been called ”the end of Schengen”.

Saturday 26 September 2015

France, Germany, Italy and Luxembourg want more EU

Four European countries signed a document calling for more European integration. They proposed to enhance the EMU in its social dimension, to make the EU more democratic and to harmonise EU states’ foreign policies. Are we witnessing a revival of the dream of the Founding Fathers of the European (…)

Friday 25 September 2015
Pages :