Our program: It's your Europe

We, Europeans, are facing some unprecedented challenges. High unemployment, the rise of
nationalist movements, the dismantling of our social protection systems, the economic crisis,
climate change, an increasingly unstable neighborhood and the emergence of continental-scale
world powers are just some examples.
It is becoming increasingly clear that our countries, taken individually, are not capable of
responding to the problems of this century. At the same time, the European debt crisis has
shown that todays European Union is not well equipped to tackle these challenges either. In
other words, we are losing control of our future. That is why we must go further in the process of
European integration. We can no longer afford to waste our resources and increase our costs in a
political space where each country finances the same competences at the national level, such as
defense, diplomacy and energy. Many expensive redundancies amount to hundreds of billions of
euros. Contrary to popular belief, it is not Europe but the lack of Europe that is very expensive
for Europeans. Duplication leads to exorbitant costs that can easily be avoided through the
pooling of part of our competencies, our resources and even our sovereign debts. However, this
will only be possible if "we", the citizens of Europe, have a common vision. The vision of a
democracy at European level that is transparent and accountable to its citizens.
We, Europeans, must solve the fundamental question of what we share and what we want to
achieve together. This requires a pan-European political debate involving every citizen. Only a
truly participatory approach can nurture a genuine sense of belonging to the European project
and strengthening the democratic legitimacy of decisions taken at European level.
We, Europeans, want to ensure that our quality of life and that of future generations regains
a central place in the political debate. Employees and employers, pensioners and students, are all
closely interdependent. Together, we can overcome our present difficulties and work towards a
"new Renaissance" for Europe.
Our program is the following:
1. Lets build a strong democracy of 500 million citizens in Europe
The European project has ensured peace and prosperity in Europe over the last 60
years. However, in this process, the participation of citizens has been all too often
neglected. We believe that European citizens must be the owners of the decisions taken in
Europe, and that there must be a closer link between the decisions taken at the European level
and the citizens.

Our main objective is to create a European democracy that is transparent and accountable
to the citizens, with a bicameral parliament and a president of the executive elected by the
citizens. A democracy that is able to give back to its citizens the right to decide their own
future. A democracy that protects and provides new opportunities for future generations,
while respecting the diversity of our individual cultures and identities, and in which the
division of powers between the local, regional, national and European levels should be based on
the principle of subsidiarity.
2. A dynamic European economy for more and better jobs
Many businesses have become less profitable or have even collapsed due to the crisis. While
many people in Europe have lost their jobs, some countries are struggling to fill vacant posts. We
therefore propose to facilitate worker mobility by promoting the recognition of professional
qualifications, the transfer of social and pension rights for citizens living and working in
different parts of Europe and the creation of new forms of intergenerational
cooperation. The development of a European labor agency would help achieve these
objectives.
At the same time we must facilitate investment and especially the activities of small and
medium enterprises by facilitating access to credit and encouraging the development of
cooperation between European businesses in order to achieve the critical mass necessary to
invest in research and development and ensure their competitiveness on the global
markets.
It goes without saying that the European public interest and that of companies do not always
coincide. Europe should have a clear vision of which are the strategic sectors for our economy
and our future, and if necessary, should support their development through an ambitious
industrial policy (e.g. energy, aerospace and transport) giving rise to a new industrial
revolution to improve our well-being.
3. Ensuring social justice for all
Everyone aspires to either starting a business or getting a job that guarantees a decent income
for oneself and his/her family. We advocate the creation of a European social security system
that is complementary to the national social security systems. Streamlining at European
level would reduce management costs and increase social justice, while reducing
discrimination and the leveling down of social standards. Certain minimum social standards
such as the "European minimum income" pegged to the local cost of living, and "decent
working conditions" should be guaranteed across Europe.
Compared to other parts of the world, the European social protection systems have been
effective enough to ensure a fair redistribution of resources and means, while allowing each
person to realize its full potential. But the impact of the crisis is depriving many people,
especially younger ones, of a decent job and is leading them into poverty. In addition,
inequalities are growing within each Member State on the one hand, and between them, on the
other. These are areas where Europe should act.
4. Improving the quality of life of Europeans

Restoring economic growth and social stability for our citizens is closely linked to the overall
improvement of the quality of life of all Europeans, which ought to be the ultimate goal of a
sustainable society. To achieve this, we must provide every European with the best possible
education, regardless of her/his socioeconomic background. This includes the massive
multiplication of exchange programs and a much closer cooperation in educational, sports
and cultural matters. Investments in new technologies, research, and greater attention to the
environment, energy supply and social cohesion are also crucial points. These changes
require the active support of the citizens, while public policies can act as facilitators of citizen
action.
5. A safer Europe in a safer world
There can be no stable and prosperous Europe in a regional and global context fraught with
tensions and marked by significant uncertainties. Recent years have clearly demonstrated the
loss of European influence on the global stage due to our inability to speak with one voice. We
have conflicts on our doorstep. We are in competition with China, India and other emerging
powers while many challenges lie ahead, such as climate change, the financial crisis, tax evasion
and the regulation of the financial markets. These problems are shared concerns for many
Europeans.
European foreign and defense policy should be based on the principles of non-aggression,
integrity and transparency, upholding international laws and agreements. Responsibility for
foreign, security and defense policy should primarily go to Europe, with the creation of a fully
integrated diplomatic corps built on the existing European External Action Service.
Europe is a major trading power and the world's largest market. We believe that respect for
intellectual property rights, compliance with safety standards and proper working conditions
should be guaranteed. To this end, through our trade agreements with third countries, we should
ensure the compatibility of our policies with our commitment to respecting human rights and
social justice. In doing so, we could also limit job losses in our domestic market due to unfair
competition.
6. Immigration and development
Political tensions in neighboring countries, as well as demographic and economic challenges,
prompt us to rethink our immigration and asylum policy. Currently the countries receiving
migrant populations are mainly those bordering the Mediterranean. We think that this
responsibility should extend to Europe as a whole.
We also think that migration policy should not only be passive. It must be articulated through a
policy of stabilization and support for the development of neighboring countries, especially
in the Mediterranean and the Middle East regions, and must improve the living standards and
ensure the development of democratic institutions in those countries.
7. Consolidate public finances while addressing the recession? Yes it's possible
The causes of the crisis are manifold and go beyond the mere accumulation of excessive public
debt. The decline in purchasing power, private debt, de-regulation of the financial markets, the
proliferation of toxic financial products, the lack of grip of European governments on the global

economy and the lack of competitiveness fueled the recession that we are currently facing. The
unemployment figures are at a record high and the recession is continuing. It is clear that
national and European leaders and institutions have failed and that a new approach, based
on democratically accountable and efficient decision-making is necessary.
A European federal government would be able to implement a set of measures that would
stimulate economic growth and ensure a prosperous and stable Europe for its citizens. These
measures include the development of the internal market, support schemes for small and
medium enterprises, the creation of Eurobonds, the creation of a banking union and the
separation of investment banks from savings banks, an expansion of the mandate of the
European Central Bank, the establishment of common social standards preventing social
dumping and boosting consumption, the creation of a European budget relying on its own
resources (representing 15 to 20% of the collective GDP instead of the current 1%), and, of
course, the transfer of powers from the national to the federal level without increasing the tax
burden on the citizens (e.g. European VAT and / or taxes on large companies instead of several
national / local taxes).
8. We, Europeans, living together in Europe
Europe is a patchwork of different individual identities, different cultures, different languages
that continuously interact with one another. This constitutes the richness of Europe and is one
of the reasons for our success throughout history. However, we believe that Europeans also form
a community with shared values, interests and common goals. A European democracy can
only work when there is a public sphere where people are informed and are able to
communicate with each other. That is why, while we support the teaching of various
European languages within Member States, we also believe that English should be used as the
vehicular language. We also want to strengthen the sense of belonging to the same community
and fully integrate the organizations representing civil society into the policy-making
process. Moreover, we defend the right to vote and be a candidate in all elections in Member
States, the creation of a simplified procedure for the registration of pan-European political
parties and the presentation of their candidates for the European elections on transnational
lists.
Living together also requires a functioning judicial system. Criminal organizations do not stop
at Europe's borders and can move freely within Europe. The result is that increased cooperation
between our national police forces is necessary. This includes a more efficient exchange of
information and better training. A federal police should be put in place for federal crimes
(terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking and tax evasion), along with a European Public
Prosecutor able to order investigative measures, while respecting national laws. We also propose
the creation of a European Criminal Court to prosecute incriminated persons; a General
Directorate exclusively devoted to justice, and of course, a European Minister of Justice,
responsible for ensuring the proper application of European law.