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Europe currently means a permanent crisis. But it is not only the movement of people from Syria, Libya and other countries in search of asylum that produces this crisis. The whole „European building“ seems to be unstable and in danger of collapsing.
The existing Europe is one of the strangest political institutions that have been created in the course of the modern era. It is a misbelief to think that if only the economic base got interwoven and interdependent, the political "superstructure" would start to take care of itself. Such a view is short-sighted and wrong.
What now? Should the rulers muddle on further, or is the current crisis an opportunity to give the European constitution a critical examination? Trying to gradually establish a common European order has failed. The current process of accepting all newly inspiring candidates into the European Union while leaving the issue of submission to the not yet existing constitutional rules, has led to the present crisis – and in any case contributed to it.

We European citizens have a right to know where the development should go.

We think it is time - high time - that we ask Europeans what we really want: remain plaything of our neighbors or put us on our own feet? A Europe which makes sense is certainly a Europe that takes a unified stand towards the outside world. But the internal European diversity must be preserved. Do we Europeans dare, and dare the national governments, to renounce national sovereignty in favor of a federated Europe?

If the national governments would not agree to this, there is no more European project and sooner or later Europe will fade out of history. The policy of "Wash my fur, but do not get me wet" has no future.   A federated Europe, in which the national states give up some of their sovereignty, needs a pan-European, common constitution. Anyone who wants to belong to this European Federal Union, has to accept this Constitution - otherwise this would not work. What should such a Constitution include?

A new European Constitution:

1. Civil and human rights.
The European Constitution should include a list of rights for European citizens and a project for a court system, guaranteeing these rights. Whether this calls for altogether new courts or whether the existing courts can perform these tasks and the highest European court can assume supreme authority, this must be ascertained.   We believe that the existing highest court and the existing national courts are likely to take over these tasks. Especially important is the guarantee of the independence of the whole judicial system.

2. Continuity
Almost everything that was created and adopted in the frame of existing European Union’s constitution-like contracts, should continue to be binding in the European Federal Union. The same is true for the rules adopted to frame the common economic system, with the exceptions of those specifically provided for in the new Constitution.
3. Parliament
It seems advisable - especially because of the necessary limitations of sovereignty - to set up a parliament with two chambers.   A chamber in which to approve or reject all important government decisions by people's representatives elected from territorial constituencies. Legislative initiatives should come from the "People's Parliament" as well as administrative control of the government, fight against corruption and nepotism, and the discussion of all the important European issues.   The second chamber should provide the representation of European nations. This "Senate" ought to be filled with representatives of nations, elected without specific binding instructions either by the parliaments of each nation, or (the respective nations should decide on the method) directly by the people.

While the People's Chamber is occupied by parliamentarians who all represent an approximately equally large constituency, which will be tailored by the national governments, and which are directly elected, the second chamber of senators ought to be elected for a term of eight years, and depending of a nation’s population size, include from 2 to 8 senators. Every four years half of the senators are to be newly elected.

4. Europe needs a strong government, indirectly elected by the people.  

The citizens of Europe ought to elect their representatives every seven years for an Electoral College Assembly. The number of Electors should be identical to the number of representatives in the peoples Parliamant plus the number of senators. This Assembly shall meet and elect the President of Europe, who would then appoint a government. Members of the Government and the President would be responsible to the Parliament; and they would answer for all acts and omissions of their administrations before Parliament and its committees.
For all elections offices of the European institutions, strong rules must determine how much money candidates can spend in electoral campaigns. Expenditure in excess of the limit, as determined by a special court always appointed by the Supreme Court, would lead to loss of office of those who exceed the maximum totals, and revocation of the right to stand for elected office for the period of one term.

The rules for dismissal of governments, or of individual members of the government, by petition and referendum or by decisions of the representative and / or the Senate must be precisely defined.  

5. Europe needs a common European foreign policy.  
The European government has a foreign minister who conducts foreign policy in cooperation with the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs. For a definable transitional period the committee should be composed from representatives of individual European states, one from each country and without binding instructions.  

A designated minister within the Foreign Ministry would be responsible for foreign trade policy.  

In the course of a maximum of 5 years, diplomatic missions of individual European states are gradually dissolved and / or converted into representations of Europe.

6. Europe needs common defense.
In order to protect its territorial integrity and interests the European Federation will establish armed forces. They will be placed under the command of a Minister of Defense and a General Staff. The army will consist of national armed forces. Within 8 to 15 years national armed forces will be converted into a unified European army.

7. For the internal organization of the European Federation, a final catalogue of competences ought to be included in the constitution.  

Matters affecting more than one country in Europe, should be regulated by European institutions. For example, all offenses, crimes and violations that exceed the boundaries of an individual state will fall within the jurisdiction of a European police force.   It seems desirable not to include the welfare policy in this catalogue of internal order, as this might lead to a lowering of the level of services provided.

The lower productivity of economically weaker countries and regions must be resolved through bilateral and trilateral cluster solutions based on solidarity and participation.  

The common currency, the euro, must not be necessarily binding on all the states belonging to the Federation. Local and national currencies may exist without endangering the common order. The euro should be the common currency in the foreign trade relations. The terms of trade between the countries of the European Federation are processed using the euro.  

8. Force
Force can be used against organizations or even governments violating fundamental rights of European citizens only by order of constitutional courts of the Federation.

 

Conclusion:  
We call on the governments of the European nations, and particularly on the European Parliament to set up a constitutional commission, which would include representatives of all the European nations and its regions.  

This Commission should write - unbound by specific instructions -a constitution according to the above mentioned principles.  

The final establishment of the European Federation and its acceptance by the European countries should be preceded by a campaign of clarification and information in the various countries.

Countries belonging the European Union today, should then declare whether they want to belong to this common European Federation.  

Europe must not remain an only economic initiative.  

Europe needs broad politically effective arrangements and a common order.  

Only a Europe as a political federation can speak to the wider world as a unity.

Only in Europe as a European Federation, the diversity of the traditions of the peoples and regions can be preserved and promoted.