Since its formation after WWII, the Union of European Federalists has been a front-line advocacy group for European cooperation and unity. Its 70-year history includes successful campaigns for the European Community, which ultimately led to the European Union (EU). This year, it is focusing on the recent European Parliament (EP) elections and released a manifesto outlining proposals for “European Refoundation” in 2019. The goals represent efforts to strengthen the EU as an institution and realign European interests in order to stem the tide of “growing nationalist, and anti- democratic forces and other illiberal forces” which seek to weaken or dismantle European structures.
The manifesto is broken into themes of financial integration and economic stabilization, defense and security, managing immigration, and combating climate change. The EU, which started as a “coal and steel community” and developed a series of economic policies which eventually led to the Eurozone, continues to require further evolution of its economic cooperation arrangements. The manifesto states that while the nations’ markets have integrated, this has yet to be followed through with a convergence of its economies, which would demonstrate true integration and cooperation. The manifesto calls for the completion of the Banking Union and the establishment of a formal Eurozone Budget and Treasury funded by taxes on trans-border activities, carbon taxes, and other areas in which taxes could be levied fairly and equitably.
The budget would be controlled by the European Commission and the European Parliament and used to fund other initiatives proposed in the manifesto. Further, the manifesto calls for funding mechanisms for economic stabilization, such as a European Deposit Fund, an Unemployment Insurance Scheme, and coordinated policies to “prevent overspending in boom times.” These steps would help create more durable continent- wide growth with the aim of promoting the Eurozone as a stable and democratic global economic power. Similarly, the manifesto calls for creation of a “European Bank for Climate” as a branch of the already established European Investment Bank. As the name implies, the bank would invest and