Hello everybody,

I’d like to state my candidature for the FC. Since I’ve been working for the International Office of Jef Italy I’m closer to the European level of our organisation. Being involved in the Jef FC let me be more active on this level.

In the last year, I’ve been very involved in the editorial board of Eurobull, the Italian version of the Taurillon. I can assure you it’s a great experience that can help a lot Jeffers to be known outside. The online version of a journal is a very good tool in order to reach other parts of the civil society. Don’t forget that after sending a press release online, Jef Italy has got the chance to be called by the Italian MPs for a meeting.

I think that it’s an important period for Jef, both internally and externally. We’re now living a big renewal of people in Jef, maybe with less experience but not for that less motivated. Despite the number of Jef members seems to be decreasing over the years, having new members getting more and more involved in the organisation clearly show all the potentialities of our organisation that is far from perishing. We could strength the solidarity among national sections in order to involve them in the European level and at the same time making the EB as well as the FC become an essential partners of the sections. That’s extremely important especially during the phase of internal consolidation of Jef.

Involvement in Jef has always meant actions and initiatives: this is the reason way, we need a large view on what’s happening outside us. The more serious and farsighted our thinking is, the more people we can get. I guess it’s important to continue on explaining and promoting our federalist vision of Europe, especially today when weaknesses and mistrust on the European integration process seem to be the only reality. Things are more complex, there’s not only crisis in Europe. We have another story to tell, the one of trust and hope in the European integration, the one of a generation of young people being proud to live in Europe and willing to change something into better. Jef is a part of this positive reality of Europe and we shouldn’t be shy on telling our story.

Talking about how I see the institutional issue today, I’d say that in theory, we even could campaign against this Reform treaty. I said in theory. Of course, our action should fit with the reality of things. But I’d like to be pragmatic, as Philippe suggest, in a different way.

I see the problem that in some countries the anti European side is claiming for a referendum, being aware of the chance they have to stop the Reform treaty ratification. It’s happening in UK, according recent news in Denmark, while in Ireland is constitutionally demanded. Even if the Reform treaty will fail, I don’t think it would mean the end of EU once for ever. Don’t forget that neither the Reform treaty will solve every institutional dysfunction. The majority system of vote, for example, would enter into force only later, while the veto will remain the rule on relevant question. I’m not saying there are no progress in the Reform treaty but I believe that they’re too few and the method through which we got this treaty don’t allow us to campaign for it. Such a campaign would mean campaigning for something indefensible and legitimating the anti European voice.

We don’t have to fear the Euro pessimism wave and doing nothing. As federalist organisation we know that there’re other solutions for Europe, the ones based on transparency and democratic principles that still need to be applied at European level.

During the June Council, what has been violated is the voice of the majority of Europeans voted yes to the Constitutional Treaty and which at the end realised they counted less than zero in front of their Governments. It’s also the principle of Pacta sunt servanda that has been violated: 27 governments committed theirselves in front of their citizens signing a treaty (some of them even ratified it with a popular mandate) then stepping back because of the lack of unanimity and of any Plan B. That’s why, in 18 countries we cannot fool people asking them to support a text that has been changed without their mandate and on behalf of their previous democratic decision.

We aren’t Governments nor political parties, we’re federalist youth organisation. Our job is not defending their failure in front of the citizens; we’re together with the citizens asking institutional reform and more ambitious policies. Counterbalancing ridiculous anti European arguments is a daily work that every proeuropean should do constantly. Federalists can do something more to, that is explaining to the people how could the EU work better in the future.

We were far more utopian when we were asking a Constitution in 2000 with the Nice Treaty and not yet a Convention. Today we’re just very demanding, we’re very simply claiming for our rights, if asking for a new Constitution. They promised us one and they gave up. They’re even thinking to move the debate of the future of Europe to the hands of some Wise Men, instead of convoking a new Convention! That’s not all folks!