UNION OF EUROPEAN FEDERALISTS CALLS FOR THE FORMATION OF A PRO-EUROPEAN COALITION – 10/06/2024 PRESS RELEASE UEF

The Union of European Federalists (UEF) congratulates the 180 millions (provisional data) citizens that have participated in the 2024 European elections, but expresses its concern for the stagnation in the participation rate: 50.08% percentage points (provisional results), not far off from the 2019 result of 50,66% (LINK).

Secondly, UEF expresses its concern by the increase in support for Eurosceptic and Europhobic far-right political parties: with regard to the estimations, the ID and ECR groups grow but (luckily) not significantly enough: with 4 more seats (ID) and 9 more seats (ECR) than in the outgoing Parliament. EPP also gained 9 seats, while there is a significant decrease in the seats of Renew (22 seats lost) and Greens/EFA (19 seats lost) groups. The S&D group had only a mimiminal decline, having lost two seats compared to 2019. One has to take into account that there are as many as 53 seats allocated to new parties that have to choose their European family.

The developments in France and Germany, in particular, are worrying. In France the result of the Rassemblement National (ID Group) party was confirmed with 31.37% of voting, and just after the announcement of the first exit poll results, the French President Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the French Parliament and a first round of elections on the 30th of June. In Germany, the Alternative für Deutschland (far-right party currently not affiliated to any European group) became the second most voted party with 15,90% of votes.

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https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/tools/comparative-tool/

At the same time, the European federalists would like to point out that nonetheless, the large majority of European voters have supported pro-European political parties and movements, representing no less than 454 seats in the new European Parliament. In this context, we urge all pro-European political forces with representation in the new European Parliament  to unite and form a strong and cohesive coalition based on a Legislature Agreement that categorically excludes the far-right. This is a political necessity also in order to ensure a stable majority in Parliament and a work programme consistent with the mandate of European voters.

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https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/tools/majority-calculator/

Among the essential points on which to base a cohesive pact, UEF stresses that there must be support for the strengthening of the European Union – and thus for the reform of the Treaties through a Convention (ex Art. 48.2 TEU) – and for Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s aggression.

In accordance with the Resolution approved by the European Parliament on the 12/12/2023, and in application of the principles of the lead candidates process (“Spitzenkandidaten”), UEF urges the Conference of Presidents to back the lead candidate tabled by the political party that has gained the highest number of seats to be proposed by the European Council as candidate for President of the European Commission.

In parallel, said candidate should immediately engage in negotiations with the other lead candidates and the presidents of the European political parties and their respective parliamentary groups in order to constitute a pro-European majority for their election, on the basis of the legislature agreement.

Since the upcoming parliamentary legislature will be decisive for the future of Europe, UEF strongly believes that a fundamental condition to confirm the next President of the Commission, is that they must support the launch of the Convention for Treaty reform. The existential challenges facing the European Union and the upcoming enlargement urgently require that a process of profound reform – as already called for by the outgoing Parliament on the basis of the results of the Conference on the Future of Europe – is initiated.

The UEF calls on all democratic and pro-European forces to come together and strengthen the unity of Europe, its democracy and the model it represents as a union of States and citizens. 

Our fate, and that of our values and social model, are at stake. We cannot fail. 

Brussels, June 10, 2024 

Press Contact: Ilaria Caria, Sec.-Gen., secretariat@federalists.eu, +32 491524097