Like the "Crocodile Club", a truly federalist intergroup inspired by Altiero Spinelli at the outset of the 1980s, the Federalist Intergroup for the European Constitution set up in the European Parliament elected in June 2004 is in the family of intergroups which have had their influence in the European Parliament: on the draft "Spinelli" Treaty of February 1984 and, indirectly, on the Single European Act, as well as on the draft of the European Constitution approved by the Convention in July 2003 and so also on the draft now awaiting ratification by the Member States.
Indeed, under the impulse of the UEF and its President, Jo Leinen, elected to the European Parliament in June 1999, a "European Constitution" Intergroup was formed in September 1999 to bring about the opening of a democratic constitutional process in which the elected representatives of the citizens would be fully involved. In the eyes of Federalists it was obvious that this Intergroup should provide, within the institution representing the sovereign European people, a determining contribution to the transnational campaign for a European Constitution, led in parallel since the years 1997-1998 by the UEF and the JEF.
Even the word "Constitution" has rapidly emerged from obscurity and the domain of taboo-words in the construction of Europe, bringing with it as its corollary the famous F-word; then, following on the traumatising setback of the Nice Treaty, the Heads of State and Government were obliged, with the Laeken Declaration, to concede to the opening of the procedure incorporating the Convention method which had proved itself in the drawing up of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Instead of limiting itself to dealing with the Nice left-overs, this more political than diplomatic assembly ended up by launching the ambitious project of drawing up a draft European Constitution.
No one can claim that this turning point in the building of Europe, introducing a homeopathic dose of democracy into the intergovernmentalism of the past, would not have taken place without the continuous pressure of the Federalists across Europe and their allies within the Intergroup of the European Parliament. Immodestly, one can even think that the Federalists and the Intergroup were good for something...
And when, at certain critical moments in the adventure of the Convention it was necessary to tip the scales in a positive (federal) direction, the Intergroup of the European Parliament, in complicity with the "brother" Intergroup inspired by Alain Lamassoure within the Convention itself, not only did not miss the opportunity offered but put itself at the head of a campaign being relayed into the civil society by the UEF and its partners in the Federalist Voice network. And the battle was won with a Declaration drawn up on the initiative of the Intergroup, gaining the support of a majority of MEPs calling for the election of the President of the Commission by the European Parliament.
The Challenges of ratification and future revision
The signature of the European Constitution at Rome in October 2004 is an extremely important political act. But the most difficult phase of the constitutional process remains to be accomplished: the ratification of the European Constitution by the 25 Member States of the European Union.
With about 10 national referenda in prospect, all the European institutions, governments, national and regional parliaments as well as civil society should urgently combine their efforts to maximise the chances of obtaining success in the ratification process. As experience has shown on many occasions in the past, an Intergroup can give a crucial contribution in fashioning the coming constitutional developments.
This is why, after the constitutive session of the new European Parliament elected in June 2004 and two days after the federalist demonstration on the arrival of the new MEPs at the entrance of the Parliament at Strasbourg, the Federalist Intergroup for the European Constitution was formed on 21 July 2004. This new Intergroup continues in the spirit of the "European Constitution" Intergroup which has operated successfully throughout the period of the 1999-2004 legislature.
The Federalist Intergroup aims at monitoring the next steps of the constitutional process, first and foremost through supporting the European Constitution, as well as contributing to the communication strategy needed for its ratification; the Intergroup aims likewise to encourage the setting up within national parliaments of intergroups/fora supporting ratification of the European Constitution and giving the political impetus needed for the building of a European Union which is democratic, transparent, effective and responsible to its citizenry.
A truly multinational Intergroup
Today the Federalist Intergroup has just been officially recognised by the European Parliament following a long and very selective procedure within and between the parliamentary groups. It already numbers 86 primary members from 21 of the 25 Members States of the European Union (the exceptions being Denmark, Latvia, Luxembourg and Malta). Its members belong to the five largest political groups in the European Parliament: the Christian Democrats and their allies of the PPE-DE, the Socialists of the PSE, the Liberals and their allies of ALDE, the Greens (Greens/ALE), the United Left (GUE/NGL). It is run by a steering committee of twelve members who ensure that its "intergroup" character is upheld and the equilibrium between the political groups is maintained.
Since its establishment, the Federalist Intergroup has already met four times at Strasbourg during the sessions of July, October and December 2004 and January 2005, each time with more than 25 members participating, that being as many if not more than for an ordinary meeting of a parliamentary committee. The debates have focused on procedures and the appropriate period for the ratification of the European Constitution, on the communication strategy, as well as on the "Mendez de Vigo - Corbett" Report on the Constitution, which has just been voted on in January 2005. The Intergroup has also discussed the Turkish question in the context of the Constitution and the establishment of a European External Action Service. An exchange of views is hoped for with the Luxembourg Presidency of the European Union during the first six months of 2005. Apart from this, the Intergroup will do its utmost to monitor the first ratification referenda, so as to draw useful lessons for the referenda, to come. A first delegation of the Intergroup is foreseen at Madrid on 10 February to give its support for the Constitution in Spain, where the referendum takes place on 20 February. They will have high-level governmental and parliamentary contacts as well as holding a press conference.
Federalist Trojan Horse or nice club of Friends of the Constitution?
The first assessment is encouraging. Only the future will tell if the Intergroup is content with being a mere forum for the exchange of views, certainly more federalist but also more informal than the Constitutional Affairs Committee presided by Jo Leinen and acting as a pressure group with internal influence on the European Parliament. This latter more ambitious scenario would result in its taking autonomous political initiatives and entering into the sort of combats which the preceding intergroups have been best at, namely networking and colluding with national parliaments or at least with the braver deputies or senators of the different countries. In this spirit, the Intergroup should also promote an inter-action with the pro-European civil society, both at the current stage of ratification of the Constitution and at the succeeding stage of its perfection.
Without an overall strategy involving the citizenry and their elected representatives at all levels, the organisations of civil society, the political parties and the European institutions, the constitutional process now under way will not be able to bring about an authentically federal Constitution. That's asking a lot, you will tell me! Certainly, but the opportunities exist in so far as the political actors don't leave their courage behind in the cloakroom and don't take fright at the powers granted them.
In response to the legitimate expectation of the federalists, once the Constitution enters into force (25 countries, or fewer if the European Council agrees) the European Parliament will then have to assume the power conferred on it for absolutely the first time to submit a draft for its revision (article IV-443.1 on the ordinary revision procedure). With this view, the role of the Intergroup becomes evident: that of showing the way and of acting as a catalyst of the political will so that the Parliament does not end this legislative period without having, in all legality, proposed a time-table, a methodology and an agenda for revision.
It is the responsibility of federalists to use their influence to ensure that the Intergroup takes the avant-garde initiatives, thus acting as a motor in the next page of the history of the political construction of Europe.