The Young Socialists Germany (Jusos) hope that the European Convention will deliver a genuine reform of the Union and elaborates a federal Constitution which can bring more democracy, efficiency and accountability for the whole of Europe. The European Union is much more than a single market and a monetary union. It has also a political and social dimension. Therefore is a need for a common employment, foreign, security and defence, immigration and environment policy on the european level.

The Jusos Germany are supporting the "Federalist Voice: Network for a European Constitution" which has been established in Brussels on Saturday, 24 February, by the "European Constitution" Intergroup within the European Parliament, the European Ligue for Economic Cooperation (ELEC), the European Young Socialists (ECOSY), the Gauche européenne, the International European Movement, the Liberal and Radical Youth Movement of the European Union (LYMEC), the Réalités Européennes du Présent, the Union of European Federalists (U.E.F.) and the Young European Federalists (JEF).

Our demands:

- The Charter on Fundamental Rights has to be adopted as a legally-binding part of a European Federal Constitution.
- The European Union should have a democratic and a supranatural government, which expresses the political majority of the European Parliament.
- The legislative branch should be two chambers – on one hand the European Parliament with the representatives of the European citizens and on the other hand the representatives of the states in a second chamber.
- The convention should be ratified not just by the governments but even by the European citizens as a referendum at the same time of the European elections of 2004.
- Environmental, social and other NGOs are gathering to be admitted to hearings with the Convention. Pro-European and federalist organisations like the "Federalist Voice: Network for a European Constitution" should be given the same right.

Matthias Geisthardt
Chair of the working-group “European affairs”