by Edmondo Paolini

ABSTRACT: Document on the European Union and federalism prepared for the 36th Congress of the Radical Party (Rome, Hotel Ergife, 30 April - 3 May)

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GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. FREEDOM AND FEDERALISM

1.1. Autonomy, democracy, subsidiarity, participation

Federalism as a concept for the re-organization of society, both internally and internationally, with man as the focal point - new Humanism -, on the principles of autonomy, democracy, subsidiarity and participation.

1.2. Sovereignty, self-determination, self-government, federation

Sovereignty should not be the final goal of a State, but merely represent that moment in which it acquires its independence: for ethical, political, economic, social and cultural reasons (new Humanism and a 'regional' and/or international approach to problems), it is necessary, on the one hand, to immediately pursue the idea of 'regional' groupings - continental or subcontinental - based on a federal structure, functioning within a world government; and, on the other hand, to work towards the restructuring of society within the States, bearing in mind the local and regional government situations, as well as the ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.

2. EUROPEAN FEDERALISM AND WORLD FEDERALISM

2.1. European Community

The Treaties of Rome produced an anomalous structure, which was basically intergovernmental (powers of the Council). The few supranational decisions that are made, in irrelevant areas, are decidedly antidemocratic, due to the absence of parliamentary proposals and control. The Treaty of Maastricht confirms this.

2.2. Reinforcement and Development

Due to its intergovernmental nature, the Community is incapable of granting the requests for membership (and also economic support) coming from the countries of Eastern Europe and the Balkans: it is therefore necessary to strengthen the Institutions by giving the European Parliament and European Commission valid powers.

2.3. From Community to Federation

A European Federation - a United States of Europe - can only be realized by approving a new Constitution on federal lines, written by a democratic body, and representative of the people's will - the European Parliament - which grants real and fitting powers to Community Institutions and specifies the areas of competence of the Federation and those of the Federal States.

2.4. A European Federation could Serve as a Model

A pluralist and open-minded European Federation could act as an example of political, economic, social and cultural union for other types of unions in Africa, Asia or Latin America.

2.5 The UN and a World Federation

In the event that a World Federation is created - which certainly won't happen in the near future - it would be necessary to immediately re-organize the UN, giving it greater power to intervene - obligation of interference - in the same way that it did in the Gulf War, and also extending its policing powers.

CURRENT GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMIC POLICIES

3. THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND ITS POLICIES

3.1. Foreign Policy and Defence Policy

The events of recent months, from the Gulf War to the conflict in the Balkans, has demonstrated just how inadequate, contradictory, and often dangerous, the Community's defence policy is. Now that all the relevant powers have been conceded to the Council - an interngovernmental body - at Maastricht, this form of non-politics will persist.

3.2. West-East and North-South Economic Policy

The Community's current budget, which is already totally insufficient for the incorporation of local government policies (regional, industrial, research, etc.), makes it impossible to even think of financing an effective aid programme for the countries of Central Europe, the former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, and the Third World countries, with whom the Community has already committed itself. Even the new "Delors Package", which provides for a minimum increase in the budget - still far less than is actually necessary - has been violently oppossed by national governments. In order to implement an effective "Marshall Plan" for aid, it is necessary to have a political body that can raise taxes, which has full approval, and is capable of putting the joint plan into action: in other words, a supranational body.

3.3. Environmental Policy

Being a policy that is applied at a world level, there is an even greater need for decisions to be taken at a supranational level, in order to avoid, amongst other things, conflicting standards that would favour those countries which apply less rigorous controls.

3.4. Drugs Policy

It is necessary to support the antiprohibitionist action taken by the European Parliament which, via its Committee of Inquiry, has been able to reverse the current trend manifest in the "War on Drugs".

3.5. Human Rights Policy

The European Parliament has to continue the battle for the abolition of the death penalty that was begun by the Radical Party.

3.6. A Policy to defend the Rights of Ethnic, Linguistic and Religious Minorities

The Community must continue the action begun in favour of minority groups, which it started with projects already underway in the European Parliament - Arfé and Kujpers reports and resolutions - : the building of a European Federation would naturally eliminate every "internal" boundary within the individual States and between States.

3.7. Communications Policy

The Community, obliged as it is to utilize all its native tongues, is a precise example of the need to adopt a common working language. Esperanto, a neutral and non-hegemonic language, could be the answer to the problem. On the other hand, a supranational political body is necessary for the adoption, and establishing, of a common working language, especially when English is becoming the dominant language.

PROPOSED ACTION: AIMS AND METHODS

4. THE TRANSNATIONAL AND FEDERALIST RADICAL PARTY

4.1. Against the Ratification of the Maastricht Treaty

The reinforcement of the intergovermental structures of the Community effected by the Maastricht Treaty, not only slows up the transformation of the Community into a Federation but also accentuates the Community's democratic "deficit". The transnational Radical Party intends to launch a campaign in all national parliaments to prevent the ratification of the Treaty, which is scheduled to take place before the end of 1992.

4.2. Relaunch of Constitutional Campaign

The impossibility of achieving a European Union via the intergovernmental method has been confirmed many times, and demonstrates the necessity of adopting a constitutional method, that is, the drawing up of a new European Constitution. This task would be entrusted to the European Parliament, the body that lawfully represents the European people, along the lines set down in the European Union Treaty draft approved in February 1984 - Spinelli's draft. For this reason, the democratic and Radical parliamentarians in the Parliaments of all the member countries must take the necessary action to have the constitutional mandate conferred on the Strasbourg Assembly, following the example of that which was realized in Italy on the occasion of the 1989 European elections, thanks to action undertaken by the Radical Party and the European Federalist Movement.

4.3. The "Assizes"

It would be opportune to utilize the Assizes - formal sittings at which European and national parliamentary representatives meet - which were held in the past, and were recently "institutionalized" at the Maastricht summit. The Assizes could constitute a meeting place, where Radical proposals could be made and action taken, especially if parliamentarians from the countries who have requested membership are permitted to continue to attend as observers.

4.4. Associating with other Federalist Movements

The possibility of undertaking joint action with federalist movements and organizations - European Federalist Movement, Federalist Intergroup of the European Parliaments and National Parliaments, and an eventual World Federalist Movement - is to be explored, especially as regards: Constitutional Mandate for the European Parliament; utilization of Assizes; request that the Conference - planned for 1996 - at which the results of the Maastricht Treaty will be verified, be brought forward; convocation of an important new Aia conference; eventual non-parliamentary action (petitions, etc.).

4.5. Strengthening the Transnational Party

All the forms of action indicated above require, for their realization, an organized political force which is present, with a certain amount of influence, in the 12 member countries of the Community and, above all, in the legislative Assemblies. They also require considerable financial investment, which can only be obtained if literally thousands of people join the Radical Party.