ABSTRACT: At this stage, with the treaties in force, each European intergovernmental summit will be held in an atmosphere of "last beach". A deep change is necessary, at this point it is necessary to think about a European constitution more than about a new Treaty. The Radicals will contribute to this battle the experience and the method acquired in other battles, where important and significant achievements have already been obtained.

(Notizie Radicali n. 51 of 11 March 1988)

Q. First of all I would like to have your opinion on the last European summit, and above all on the increase of the revenues of the Community and on the perspectives of the Single Market.

A. We are faced with all that which the Single Act of Luxembourg could allow for; a last minute rescue, an inadequate increase, the confirmation of the perspectives of a "Single Jungle" and not of a Single Market. In Hannover there will be hidden conflicts, which will become evident in Athens or Madrid. And every time they will bring us to the verge of a catastrophe. Without a political and institutional sovereignty, without the constitution of the United States of Europe (and concerning the project of the Treaty, we must transform it into a project of a Constitution), we will all pay for the final vanishing of this historical reality, for the internal and external "absence" of Europe.

We will be a third world...

It is for this reason that the Radical party at this stage believes that a sort of vast campaign for a Ghandian liberation of Europe from the domination of bureaucracies, of interests, of national and nationalist practices, must be organized at once.

Q. What is, according to you, the situation of the battle for the European Union, started by the federalists?

A. As Altiero Spinelli used to repeat during his last years of battle and wisdom, the degree of Radical insanity must be considered. He publicly, solemnly asked people to vote for us for this purpose, not only together but united.

Q. What do you think about the Federalist proposals to resume the European battle, such as the popular consultation before or parallel to coming European elections, the extension of the powers of the European Parliament, a new "Treaty of Rome"?

A. This is what we had imagined with Altiero Spinelli and that which we had immediately started to do. Radical members of Parliament had taken different initiatives in this direction since 1986. We therefore fully support this battle. It must be integrated, adjusted, developed day by day by means of new initiatives. It is thus that the radical party has induced the Italian Parliament to adopt an extremely important resolution in that it commits the government (and indirectly the European Council) to reintegrate in the Community the project for a Treaty of a European union, requesting the European Parliament to include it in the agenda for 1989. It is, therefore, a new procedure to confer it extensive and "constituent" powers. Moreover, the Italian Parliament requests the meeting of the General States of the European peoples, consisting in the members of the National and European Parliaments to elect both the President of the Commission and the President of the European Parliament.

We have had, from the beginning, the signatures of 264 members of Parliament; the vote was almost unanimous, with the exception of former president of the Commission and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Malfatti and of the MSI, who abstained.

Moreover, we obtained a public document of adhesion to this resolution on the part of 199 members of the European Parliament of all groups, including 15 British Tory members of Parliament and 17 Spanish members of Parliament of the same group (Alianza Popular). All this thanks to an action carried out for several weeks by the Radical Party. We are about to extend it, with similar initiatives in the other national Parliaments, gathering the signatures of millions of people by means of popular petitions.

Q. The Radical Party recently transformed itself into a transnational party. What does this mean, and what changes will it imply for the Party's policies?

A. According to its statute, the Radical Party has always been transnational, but up to now had not been able to fully express itself as such. Today this has become a priority and the essential condition for the Party's life. On the other hand already last year hundreds of non-Italian people joined the party; Nobel Prizes, African ministers, non-violent activists and objectors of a dozen countries, from the USSR to Brazil, from Turkey to Burkina Faso; not only in Europe therefore. We are, however, confronted with enormous difficulties, and we are likely to fail: we are aware of this. It will all depend on the number and the quality of the adhesions to a party no longer competing with the national parties at an institutional level, and whose membership card has an "open" character, similar to a WWF membership or to a ...European Freemasonry of two centuries ago.

If, on the other hand, we succeed, then we will achieve the Europe of freedoms, of the right to life and the life of rights. A Europe which we believe should be a federal state, uniting political democracies such as Israel and Yugoslavia, if the latter achieves this status.

Q. Do you think that the European Parliament and the political parties will have the strength to join this battle, or will they surrender to defeatism?

A. Well, these days there is the episode I mentioned: 199 members of the European Parliament out of the 300 we had summoned...

Q. What are your relationships, even personal ones, with the Federalists? How are you planning to make these relationships grow and transform into concrete political action?

A. We are at the complete disposal of our federalist friends. As allies, as adherents: whichever way they prefer. Mario Albertini came personally to bring his message at our congress in Bologna, at the beginning of the year. He was received for what he is and has always been, and as the person coming after Altiero Spinelli, to help us and give us advice. As you know, in 1949 or 1950, Altiero Spinelli wanted me to become secretary of the Federal Youth organization. At the time I was 19, but already had my personality. Because he did not ensure an autonomous statute to the organization, the thing was dropped. But he gave me repeated evidence of his trust and of his demanding, wise, noble and severe friendship all his life.

Q. You have started a campaign to fight starvation in the underdeveloped countries. What are your present plans, what results has this campaign yielded?

A. This is a good example. Starting from scratch, I can say that today there are some millions of living, instead of millions of dead, and this thanks to the non-violent and institutional battles of the Radical party. And 111 Nobel Prizes have subscribed a political text, Parliaments are still today discussing draft bills: this proves the "duration" of our commitment, a duration which is in itself expression of all that is and lives.

The United States of Europe as well are the necessary, essential, historical instrument for the right to live to assert itself - by means of the life of law - in the course of this century and in this world.

Spinelli was referring to this battle as well, inviting us to adjust the federalist priority to non-violent, Ghandian, libertarian and institutional battles, thanks to which, as a small minority, we have conferred the powers of a law to the need for freedom and justice of the masses and to the individuals. It is that which Spinelli called the "seed of insanity", which would give rise to the tree of Europe. Your insanity. The insanity of the federalists you are and we are.