The UEF Federal Committee, meeting in Berlin on 21 April 2018,
Considering
1. that the elections of the European Parliament in May 2019 will represent a moment of great importance for the debate on the future of Europe and a crucial opportunity to promote the case for a federal Europe with citizens, political parties and candidates;
2. a campaign by the federalist organizations is essential to influence the positions of political parties on the future of Europe and the way they will promote the European project during the electoral campaign;
3. grassroots activities by the federalist organizations during the electoral campaign are essential to ensure that the option of a democratic, united and federal Europe is visible to citizens and candidates at a time when Europe is squeezed between anti-Europeans and defenders of the status quo;
4. activities with candidates from all political parties during the electoral campaign, including challenging them to present bold proposals for the future of Europe, can lay the ground for stronger federalist activities in the next European Parliament.
2. a campaign by the federalist organizations is essential to influence the positions of political parties on the future of Europe and the way they will promote the European project during the electoral campaign;
3. grassroots activities by the federalist organizations during the electoral campaign are essential to ensure that the option of a democratic, united and federal Europe is visible to citizens and candidates at a time when Europe is squeezed between anti-Europeans and defenders of the status quo;
4. activities with candidates from all political parties during the electoral campaign, including challenging them to present bold proposals for the future of Europe, can lay the ground for stronger federalist activities in the next European Parliament.
Resolves
5. to engage in a campaign for the elections of the European Parliament in May 2019 articulated in the following phases/pillars and with the following objectives and main activities
Phase 1 – Elections preparation
Duration: April 2018 – November 2018
Objectives: (1) ensure that the European political parties continue the system of the Spitzenkandidaten and nominate their candidate for the position of European Commission President in advance of the elections, (2) ensure that the European political parties prepare to run a pan-European campaign focused on European issues; and (3) influence the political platforms of political parties at European and national level to include federalist demands and objectives, in particular on Eurozone reform, EU treaty reforms and the challenges of defence and security and growth.
Activities: (1) prepare a set of key requests that the federalists would like to see in the platforms of the European political parties (based on recent UEF and JEF resolutions and positions); (2) activate UEF and JEF members active in political parties to advance federalist demands in respective parties’ platforms and activities; (3) organise private and public meetings with European political parties to discuss and promote federalist proposals, (4) participate in European congresses of the European political parties, (5) seek support of a broader network of NGOs (including the network created around March for Europe) to amplify federalist demands.
Phase 2 – Elections run up
Duration: December 2018 – March 2018
Objectives: (1) promote federalist positions in the debate leading to the European elections, (2) influence the narrative of the European political parties in the electoral campaign.
Activities: (a) meeting with each of the Spitzenkandidaten; (b) meeting with party campaign managers; (c) debates with political parties representatives on key points of their political programmes; and (d) use of social media to promote federalist subjects and proposals.
Phase 3: Towards the vote
Duration: April 2019-May 2019
Objectives: (1) obtain commitments by candidates from all political parties to a federalist pledge, (2) promote federalist positions and attack anti-federalist positions by candidates and political parties at European and national level, (3) promote cross-partisan debates with candidates to promote federalist demands; (4) promote the case of a federal Europe with citizens at large; and (5) invite citizens to support candidates across parties that support federalist demands.
Activities: (1) contact individual candidates at European, national and local level asking support to a federalist list of demands, (2) communication activities (including a website and social media) to promote federalist positions and attack anti-federalist positions by candidates and political parties at European and national level.
Final event: Strasbourg July 2019
Organise a final event in Strasbourg, on the occasion of the opening session of the new European Parliament, and on the 40th anniversary of the first direct European election, inviting all elected candidates who have signed the federalist pledge, if possible with a related public action, using also the network of partners around March for Europe.
6. to constitute a taskforce in charge of running UEF campaign activities for the European elections, supporting the European Secretariat and the Bureau;
7. invites members of the Federal Committee to join such taskforce;
8. invites each national section to appoint one national focal point for the European taskforce to ensure engagement of national sections with the European proposals and activities;
9. proposes to the Young European Federalists that the UEF taskforce and the JEF taskforce work as a coordinated team for a series of joint activities to be defined;
10. calls on UEF Bureau with the support of the UEF Secretariat to produce a full evaluation report in order to assess the achievement of the campaign goals;
11. encourages national sections to participate in the activities organized by the European level and organize similar activities at national level.
