What is European Confederalism?
European Confederalism was born out of a frustration with the current reality of the European Union. It has become clear in the years since the European Sovereign Debt Crisis that the EU has become increasingly weaker and unable to live up to Europe’s full potential. We are subjected to a slow and overly bureaucratic political union which has failed us time and time again, and is in desperate need of reform.
However, this reform, while mostly agreed is badly needed, has not taken shape in any concrete way. Those who seek reform use the word but then do not elaborate on what that reform might look like and how it would be beneficial for Europeans. In the end, Europeans have been left with only three options for their future: continuing the unwieldy supranationalism of the present EU; complete disintegration of the EU and a return to independent nation states; and an American-style federalisation and the elimination of the nations.
Each of these options would neither solve the issues facing Europeans today nor would they allow them to realise their full potential in the world. This is why European Confederalism intends to create a middle ground between both the EU and a United States of Europe by taking the strengths from both ideas and discarding the weaknesses.
What European Confederalism proposes is a democratic reform of the European Union which preserves the sovereignty of individual nations while also creating a central and complementary European system, elected by all Europeans, which works with the nations to realise their potential and equalise the status of all members within the Union. This is to avoid both a top-down approach in federalism and supranationalism, and also the rampant national self-interest of purely independent states.
A European Confederation would look something like this:
All these measures, some of which are already taking place, would maintain the sovereignty of the European nations, combined with a flexible and powerful centralism capable of carrying out large pan-European projects. It would allow us to create a democratic, humanitarian and genuinely European superpower to do good in the world.
However, this reform, while mostly agreed is badly needed, has not taken shape in any concrete way. Those who seek reform use the word but then do not elaborate on what that reform might look like and how it would be beneficial for Europeans. In the end, Europeans have been left with only three options for their future: continuing the unwieldy supranationalism of the present EU; complete disintegration of the EU and a return to independent nation states; and an American-style federalisation and the elimination of the nations.
Each of these options would neither solve the issues facing Europeans today nor would they allow them to realise their full potential in the world. This is why European Confederalism intends to create a middle ground between both the EU and a United States of Europe by taking the strengths from both ideas and discarding the weaknesses.
What European Confederalism proposes is a democratic reform of the European Union which preserves the sovereignty of individual nations while also creating a central and complementary European system, elected by all Europeans, which works with the nations to realise their potential and equalise the status of all members within the Union. This is to avoid both a top-down approach in federalism and supranationalism, and also the rampant national self-interest of purely independent states.
A European Confederation would look something like this:
- A central European government accountable to the European Parliament and elected by all European citizens as a whole.
- An upper chamber of an integrated Council of the European Union and the European Council with representation from all sectors of society (unions, military, politics, industry etc.)
- Integrated monetary system with enforced fiscal discipline through the Blue Bond Scheme to ensure financial sovereignty coupled with responsibility. It would help in promoting the Euro as a global reserve currency.
- Overall anti-bureaucratisation and simplification of processes.
All these measures, some of which are already taking place, would maintain the sovereignty of the European nations, combined with a flexible and powerful centralism capable of carrying out large pan-European projects. It would allow us to create a democratic, humanitarian and genuinely European superpower to do good in the world.
