| – More than 50 citizens joined a demonstration organised by JEF Europe and UEF France on 19 June, in front of the European Parliament, where the first plenary session of the Conference took place. – Among the slogans and signs by the demonstrators were calls of “Europe: unite or perish” and “We are the future of Europe”. – The political goal of the demonstration was to affirm the need for a European Federation, as a foundation for peace, democracy and unity on the continent. |
“Today, the Conference on the Future of Europe met for the first time in plenary format, in the seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, with participants from the European and national parliaments, Member States, and civil society”, says Leonie Martin, President of JEF Europe. “Guess who was absent? European citizens, of course! You will hear our leaders repeating over and over again that this is the moment for citizens to make their voice heard, but frankly, they couldn’t even bother getting them in the room!”
On 19 June, in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, at 8.15 am, members of the Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) and of the Union des Fédéralistes Européens – France (UEF France) gathered to call for the Conference on the Future of Europe to be an opportunity for a European refoundation, on the basis of democratic values and the political union of the continent. More than 50 people participated from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Spain, among others. They were holding signs with slogans “Europe: unite or perish”, “We are the future of Europe” and “The future is (y)OURS” – the latter a pun on the official slogan of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
“Europe has become the central element of contemporary political divisions, in addition to more traditional cleavages on the left-right spectrum. You will hear candidates to any kind of political office claiming a vague sense of anti- or pro-Europeanness: yet no one ever really tells what Europe they want. Well, what we want is a European Constitution, enshrining our rights as European citizens and fulfilling the dream of our Founding Fathers and Mothers of a united European continent. It’s time to join the fight!” concludes Ophélie Omnes, President of UEF France.
About JEF Europe
The Young European Federalists (JEF) Europe is a non-partisan youth NGO with 10,000 members active in over 30 countries. The organisation strives towards a federal Europe based on the principles of democracy and subsidiarity as well as respect for human rights. JEF promotes true European Citizenship, and works towards more active participation of young people in democratic life. While the umbrella organisation JEF Europe was founded in 1972, its sections have been operating continuously since the end of the Second World War, making it the oldest pro-European and only federalist youth organisation.
About UEF France
The Union of European Federalists (UEF) is a non-partisan movement that originated in the Resistance and was founded in 1946 in Paris. It has actively participated in the launch of European construction, notably through the Hague Congress. The UEF France is the French section of the UEF, whose objective is the creation of a European federation. It has campaigned for the election of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, the creation of the euro and the establishment of a European constituent to reform the European Union.
Contact information
Leonie Martin, President
Young European Federalists
Rue d’Arlon 53, 1040 Brussels
president@jef.eu
Ophélie Omnes, President
Union des Européens Fédéralistes – France
2, rue de Choiseul, 75002 Paris
oomnes@uef.fr
