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Union of European Federalists

Formation	September 1946
Type	Advocacy group
Purpose	Advocate Federalism
Headquarters	Brussels, Belgium
Region served	European Union
President	Sandro Gozi

The Union of European Federalists (UEF) is an international group. It was first started in 1946 and then restarted in 1973. Its main goal is to create a united Europe. This idea is based on "unity in diversity," meaning many different countries working together.

In 1946, UEF brought together several groups. These groups, like the Movimento Federalista Europeo, wanted a European federation. The Movimento Federalista Europeo began in Italy in 1943. Another group was the French Committee for the European Federation, started in France in 1944.

How the UEF Started

After World War II, many people wanted to prevent future wars. They believed that a united Europe could bring lasting peace. Two important meetings took place in 1946. The first was in Hertenstein, Switzerland, in September. There, 78 people from 16 European countries met. The second meeting was in Luxembourg in October.

These groups shared a common idea. They thought a European Federation would stop more wars. This federation would be based on "unity in diversity." They believed that if European citizens worked together, they could build a peaceful and democratic Europe. This new Europe would protect freedom and human rights for everyone.

The federalists decided to create the European Union of Federalists (UEF). It was officially founded in Paris in December 1946. Its job was to help different groups work together. It also aimed to organize them into a federal structure.

The first big meeting, called a Congress, happened in Montreux, Switzerland. This was from August 27 to 31, 1947. At this meeting, they set out the rules for federalism. They also defined what the organization wanted to achieve for European unity.

Some of the first leaders of the UEF were Alexandre Marc, Denis de Rougemont, Altiero Spinelli, and Henri Frenay.

Working Towards a United Europe

The UEF worked with other groups, like Winston Churchill's United Europe Movement. Together, they helped organize the Congress of Europe in The Hague in May 1948. The UEF's ideas were important there, even if they were not the majority. Today, the UEF is still part of the European Movement International. This larger movement grew out of that Congress.

After gaining legal status, the UEF pushed for a European Federal Pact. This was an effort to change the Advisory Assembly of the Council of Europe. They wanted it to become a group that could write a constitution for a European Federation. Thousands of people across Europe signed a petition for this. Many important politicians, thinkers, and scientists also supported it. The petition asked the Advisory Assembly to create a federal pact. It also asked them to recommend it to the member states of the Council of Europe. The UEF also supported the European Defence Community and the creation of a political community.

Challenges and Reunification

The plan for the European Defence Community was rejected. This caused disagreements among federalists in the UEF. Some, like Altiero Spinelli, wanted to focus on creating a full constitution. Others preferred a step-by-step approach. Those who wanted a constitution were not happy with just a common market. Those who preferred small steps fully supported it.

This disagreement led to the UEF splitting in July 1956. It divided into two groups. One was the "Mouvement Fédéraliste Européen" (M.F.E.). This group included those who wanted a constitutional approach. The other was "Action Européenne Fédéraliste" (A.E.F.). This group brought together those who preferred a step-by-step method.

However, once a customs union was set up, it looked like an economic and monetary union would follow. This made the two federalist groups agree to come back together. They wanted to restart their political work. Their main goal became campaigning for direct elections to the European Parliament. This idea, pushed by Italian federalists, quickly became a shared goal. All the federalist groups met in April 1973 and reformed the UEF.

UEF's Public Actions

The UEF has organized many public events. These events often attracted thousands of people. For example, in December 1975, they held a demonstration in Rome. This was during a meeting of the European Council. At that meeting, it was decided that European elections would happen.

On July 17, 1979, 5,000 people demonstrated in Strasbourg. This was in front of the European Parliament building. It happened when the Parliament met for the first time after its election in June. Another big demonstration took place in Milan in June 1985. About 100,000 people attended. This was the largest public event in the history of the federalist movement. At that time, the European Council decided to hold a meeting to review the treaties of the European Community.

Modern Campaigns

After the Berlin Wall fell and the Cold War ended, Europe changed. German reunification and the Maastricht Treaty were also big events. The UEF then started a campaign for European Democracy. This campaign aimed to remove border controls within the European Union. It also wanted to strengthen the roles of the European Parliament and the European Commission. The UEF pushed for more majority voting and for governments to share power in making new laws.

A significant part of UEF's history was the Campaign for the Federal European Constitution in Nice. About 10,000 people, including many local leaders, took part in this campaign.

Past Presidents

Hendrik Brugmans 1947–1949
Henry Frenay 1950–1952
Altiero Spinelli 1955–1956
Grigore Gafencu 1956
Alexandre Marc 1957
Raymond Rifflet 1959–1964
Mario Albertini 1966
Henri Genet 1947
Henry Frenay 1948–1949
Hendrik Brugmans 1950
Eugen Kogon 1950–1952
Henry Frenay 1955
Grigore Gafencu 1956
Enzo Giacchero 1957
Enzo Giacchero 1959–1962
Etienne Hirsch 1964–1972
Etienne Hirsch – J.H.C Molenaar 1972
Mario Albertini 1975–1982
John Pinder 1984–1987
Francesco Rossolillo 1989–1994
Jo Leinen 1997–2004
Mercedes Bresso 2006–2008
Andrew Duff 2008–2013
Elmar Brok 2013–2018
Sandro Gozi 2018-2023
Domènec Ruiz Devesa 2018-2023

Past Secretaries General

Raymond Silva 1947–1948
Albert Lohest 1949–1950
Guglielmo Usellini 1950–1957
André Delmas 1959–1962
Orio Giarini 1962–1967
Ludo Dierickx 1969
Caterina Chizzola 1972–1989
Gérard Vissels 1992–1994
Bruno Boissière 1997–2004
Friedhelm Frischenschlager 2005–2006
Joan Marc Simon 2007–2010
Christian Wenning 2010–2014
Paolo Vacca 2014 - 2020
Anna Echterhoff 2020 - 2023
Luisa Trumellini 2023 - 2024
Ilaria Caria 2024 - present

Deputy General Secretary

Henri Koch-Kent 1946. He also helped found the UEF at the Luxembourg meeting.

How the UEF is Organized

The UEF is made up of many smaller groups. These groups are independent and work in their own countries. They help spread the UEF's message to people in the EU. They do this by organizing different activities. These groups can do any activities that fit within the UEF's overall goals.

The Congress

The Congress is like the main meeting for all UEF members. It happens every two years. It includes representatives from all the UEF's member groups. The Congress decides what the UEF's main goals will be. It also chooses the UEF president. It can change the rules of the organization and elects half of the Federal Committee members.

The Federal Committee

The Federal Committee has members chosen in two ways. Half are elected by the UEF Congress. The other half are chosen by the member organizations. These members serve until the next UEF Congress.

The Federal Committee decides the UEF's political direction. It also plans activities between Congress meetings. It organizes the Congress and approves the yearly budget. It sets the rules for how the UEF operates. It also elects the UEF Bureau and Treasurer.

The Bureau

The Bureau is chosen by the Federal Committee for two years. It carries out the decisions made by the Federal Committee. It is responsible to the Federal Committee for its actions.

Conference of Representatives

This meeting can be called by the UEF Bureau or by at least two member organizations. It brings together representatives from the member groups. It also includes the UEF's main leaders, like the President, Secretary-General, and Treasurer. This Conference suggests ideas to the Federal Committee. It helps coordinate activities and gives advice. It also decides how much member groups need to pay.

The President

The UEF president is chosen by the UEF Congress. They need more than half of the votes to win. The president also leads the Federal Committee and the UEF Bureau. Currently, the UEF president is Domènec Ruiz Devesa from Spain.

The Treasurer

The Treasurer is chosen by the Federal Committee. They are suggested by the Bureau. The Treasurer is in charge of managing the UEF's money. They report to the Federal Committee about how the money is used. The current UEF Treasurer is Roland Huhn.

The Secretary-General

The UEF Secretary-General runs the UEF office. They make sure that the decisions made by the UEF's different groups are carried out. They attend meetings of these groups but do not vote. The Federal Committee appoints them, based on a suggestion from the Bureau. Currently, the UEF Secretary-General is Ilaria Caria.

Arbitration Board

This board has seven members chosen by the Congress. Its job is to make sure the UEF's rules are followed. It also helps solve disagreements within the organization.

Member Organizations

States with member organisations of the Union of European Federalists in 2017

Europäische Föderalistische Bewegung Österreich (UEF Austria)
U.E.F. België / U.E.F. Belgique (UEF Belgium)
U.E.F. Balgarija (UEF Bulgaria)
Unie evropských federalistů v České republice (U.E.F. Czech Republic)
European Federalist Movement of Cyprus (UEF Cyprus)
Europa-Union Deutschland (UEF Germany)
Eurooppafederalistit (U.E.F. Finland)
European Federalist Movement Greece (UEF Greece)
Union des fédéralistes européens (U.E.F. France)
Európai Föderalisták Uniója (UEF Hungary)
Movimento Federalista Europeo (UEF Italy)
Europos federalistai Lietuvoje (UEF Lithuania)
UEF Luxembourg
UEF Crna Gora (UEF Montenegro)
UEF Portugal (UEF Portugal)
UEF Romania
Únia európskych federalistov (UEF Slovakia)
Unión de Europeístas y Federalistas de España (UEF Spain)
Unija evropskih federalista (UEF Serbia)
Europafederalisterna (UEF Sweden)
Mouvement européen Suisse/Europäische Bewegung Schweiz/Movimento europeo Svizzera (UEF Switzerland)
Federal Union (UEF United Kingdom)
UEF Europe Groupe

What the UEF Does

The UEF has several important goals:

Raising Awareness: They want to teach people about European issues. They do this by holding public discussions and workshops. They also set up information stands and organize street actions.
Influencing Politicians: They try to convince politicians who share their views. They do this by talking to them directly. They also create platforms to help people understand federalism. They start discussions in European and national parliaments.
Spreading Ideas: They share their ideas widely through press releases. They use their website and newsletters. They also publish statements about their policies.
Working with Others: They team up with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This includes groups like the Young European Federalists (JEF) and the European Movement. Finally, they put pressure on politicians by organizing public demonstrations.