07/05/2014 Political Affairs and Democracy
The Parliamentary Assembly constitutes an ideal forum for the debate on the future political form of the European Union and more specifically the challenges of opting for a federal Europe, said the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, meeting today in Athens.
In his report, adopted by the committee, Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC) defines the concept of federalism, “a principle of organising a polity by dividing powers between orders of government”. Federalism implies a process of balancing power between European and national institutions and modes of multi-level governance, as well as mechanisms correcting imbalance, a system of “safeguards”, the rapporteur stressed.
A European federal democracy could be more effective and stable than a Europe of nation states or a European state and does not imply more decentralisation. It can provide a conceptual framework for a territorially differentiated political system adjusted to the distinct economies and societies of today’s European Union, the committee concluded.