by Ellen Trane Norby, President of LYMEC

Europe stands before a crossroad. Within the next 8 months Europe will have to show if it is mature to lift two of the largest challenges the Union has had since the six founding member states laid the first bricks more than half a century ago.

The Summit in Copenhagen will be the exam where we will see if all the words and good intentions will be followed by concrete actions and visions for our common European future. But the EU does not only have to complete a number of accession negotiations in order to ensure the enlargement of the union; it will also have to prove itself legitimate and relevant to the European citizens. It is about time that the European Union becomes a citizens union.

The time for small gradual steps, which leave Europe divided, is over. Any simple "reform" or "improvement" of the European Union would be inadequate if we want to match the demands in an enlarged EU. Also a "federation of nation states" would not be enough, if in reality the power of last instance were left in the hands of national governments, each maintaining a veto right. It is time for a true Citizens Union - a European Federation, based on freedom and democracy, openness, transparency and subsidiarity and with a constitution defining the rights of the Citizens and the limits of the Union.

In this respect the Convention on the Future of Europe can play a crucial role. The Convention is a new and historic opportunity for individuals, representing the governments and parliaments of member states and candidate countries and the European Parliament, to move beyond the stale horse-trading of recent years and present a bold proposal for a
Constitution for a European federation.

The pressure on the Convention is without doubt the most demanding long seen. The involved parts are to a large extend pulling in different directions and the last meeting of the Convention also showed a huge differences in the discussion about the power balances in the Union.

Over 50 years have passed since the Schuman Declaration launched the first European Community as "the first assize of a European Federation". But today Europe is still weak and divided. It continues to be ruled by people elected to run their national governments according to their national interests and not by people elected to run Europe according to
the European interest. European democracy and European citizenship remain only slogans as the European citizens still don’t have the right to directly decide, with their vote, the government and the policies of Europe. Europe's independence and sovereignty on the global stage are still only distant aspirations. The global challenges of the new millennium are far from being met. Where is Europe heading? What do we, as Europeans, want Europe to become? Together and strong in the European Federation or divided and weak in the era of globalisation? These are the choices Europe is facing today, the stakes in the debate on
the future of Europe launched in Nice, followed up by the Laeken Declaration and now actually present in the shape of the Convention on the Future of Europe.

I believe that the proposal from the Convention should include a draft for a federal constitution, where the areas of responsibility are clearly defined. A completely reformed political structure is needed in order to ensure that the enlargement will become a joint venture of West and East in a solid and democratic political community. The European Parliament and the Council acting by co-decision in all matters should carry out the
Legislative process. The Council should become a genuine second chamber, representing the states. The Council should be stripped of its executive role, and a reformed and accountable Commission should become the government of the Union. The President of the European
Commission and the Commission members should be elected by the European Parliament.

And in this respect a main question: Are we ready to become Europeans?

I believe that the Europeans will become ready if they are include in the debate about the future of Europe and thereby have a say on the European Society they are going to live in the future. But this requires that the Heads of States are willing to give up national soveregnity in certain areas in order to allow Europe to become stronger in unity. And it demands that they are willing to listen to the citizens and include them in the process. I say it is about time that the European Union becomes a Citizens Union.

The Eurobarometer poll on the future of Europe, presented to the European Convention on 15 April also showed that 67 percent of the Europeans are in favour of a Constitution whereas only 44 percent are satisfied with the way the EU work today and the democratic organisation of the Union.

I would like to see this change and I would therefore like to encourage you as Member Organisations and Individual Members to contribute to the Future of Europe debate - not least through the planned Youth Convention. Young Liberal visions for the future of Europe should be taken into account when shaping the genuine transparent, democratic and citizens based European Union.

European Youth Convention

Yesterday we send out a special edition of the newsletter about the Youth Convention. We have also send a letter to all the Liberal members of the Convention and had meetings with several of them, but we can do much more and I would like to encourage you to get in contact with your national members as well as other relevant partners in your country in order to ensure the maximum impact on the Convention and the Youth Convention which will be held from the 9th to the 14th of July in Brussels.

The whole selection procedure around the Youth Convention has several points, which can easily be questioned out from a transparent and democratic point of view. Together with the other European political youth organisations LYMEC has criticised the fact that the Convention members themselves are to elect their youth representative because we fear that this will contribute to the understanding of the EU as a closed and self-upholding system.

In order to ensure a legitimate and representative youth convention we have therefore encouraged the Convention Members to take the national youth councils as well as the European Youth Forum into account when deciding on the selection procedure.

Lately there has also been a quite biased debate about the representatively of the democratically organised youth structures in Europe. Not least the Commissions White Paper on Youth Policy has questioned the representatively of the organised youth structures in Europe. Questioning the existing and democratically build youth structures is from my point of view undermining the whole idea of a representative democracy. I do recognise that the organised youth in Europe does not include all young people, but I would strongly like to
reject the idea that being member of a youth organisation means that you less young.

There are two main objectives of the Youth Convention: firstly to get a young perspective and input to the Convention and include the reflections, ideas and concerns of the younger generation in the further debate in the Convention. And secondly to facilitate and kick-start the debate on the future of Europe among the young citizens. In this respect the organised youth can play a greater role and will have a responsibility towards their organisations and networks and can therefore ensure that the debate on the future of Europe is brought on to as many young Europeans as possible.

And there is absolutely no doubt that the Youth Convention will be a political event and that it can have an important political message if it becomes a success. I would therefore strongly ask you to put attention on the Youth Convention and ensure that there will be qualified young Liberals in the Youth Convention.
LYMEC will have a working group on the content of the Convention and the Youth Convention and we will make sure that the future mailing will contain an update on the work of the Convention.

We young Europeans do not have unlimited time to become united. Nationalism, xenophobia, and fragmentation are resurgent within many of our countries. Citizens are increasingly detached and alienated from the Union that they don not understand and perceive as distant and bureaucratic. Globalisation needs a European answer. Our national sovereignties and democracies are being progressively hollowed. It is time for vision, courage and responsibility. It is time for an act of re-foundation. It is time for a European Federal Constitution. And it is about time that we commit ourselves to this task and ensure the
realisation of a real citizens' Union.

Contribution also available on LYMEC’s webpage, www.lymec.org

Ellen Trane Norby, President of LYMEC,
Liberal Youth Movement of the European Community
mailto:et@cool.dk