Europe into a single nation. On the contrary, a European federation should be an open forum for debate which enables national and local cultures to flourish – as long as they are in agreement with the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
flexibility can lead only to social tragedy. Binding rules do not mean micro-detailed rules, but imply only the acceptance of the EU’s authority to enforce these rules and “punish” those who try to avoid their responsibility.
So, how does this vision differ from the EU today? Well, crucial to a federation is the notion that the federal level should have the power to intervene in case a state does not comply with the common rules. Currently, the Commission's authority to do so is extremely weak and often blunted by Council oversight. If a member state does not comply with EU law, the Commission's only weapon is to start an infringement procedure, which is an extremely lengthy process. Member states can thus effectively hold off the implementation of a 'federal' EU law for many years.
The crisis has been destructive in many ways; however, it has also generated momentum for integration on which the EU must capitalise. Proof of this are the plans for a banking union, the ‘Six Pack’ and ‘Two Pack’ programmes introducing new macroeconomic surveillance mechanisms, and a general acceptance of the idea that the Commission should develop towards a full economic government for the Union. Also the partial recognition of the need for more political union to safeguard the future of the project is a big step forward.
If we want Europe to become a unified continent, we must give the Commission wide authority to pursue comprehensive policies that push for convergence between member states on key issues such as human rights, employment, foreign affairs and taxation. Agreeing on binding rules instead of general standards is one of the most important steps towards a federal Union. This does not mean, however, that the Commission should start micromanaging. Not only would that be inefficient, it would also be practically impossible to implement regulation in accordance with 28 different national traditions. Yet, the current crisis makes it painfully obvious that a lack of convergence and excessive
The upcoming 2014 European elections are a great occasion to test the readiness of the European citizens to accept deeper integration. Most of the institutions are there, it is now up to responsible politicians to inform their constituency of the advantages of integration and cooperation, and of the many achievements the EU has already realised. In turn, it is up to a new generation of citizens to restore their faith and trust in politics, and turn Europe back into the positive story it used to be. We can build all the institutions and have all the great arguments we want, but only popular support for more unity and deeper inte-
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