The ESF was a great opportunity to meet people and to build networks: the Italian section of UEF (Mfe) coorganized the major event on the European Constitution. The seminar titled “Constitution building process in the EU” ...  was held on Friday May 5th in the main building and had good public attendance. All the speakers affirmed the need to relaunch the European constituent process in a democratic way after the French No.

Susan George, vice president of Attac France, said that it’s not yet the time for a European Constitution since Europe has to work before on how to build a sustainable social model. Franco Russo, Italian senator, stated that we have to propose a constituent process from below instead of an intergovernmental Europe adding that the movements of social fora are the first expression of the European people and underlying the need to confront with European institutions.

Vittorio Agnoletto, Eurodeputy, urged to say “basta” to national vetoes and propose a federal Europe with a legislative Parliament.
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Christoph Strawe, (Attac-Germany) said that a democratic constituent process needs considerable civil society participation starting from the very basis. The process can be legitimate if the citizens are able to determine the contents of the constitution and have a final say with a vote.
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Athens has been another step of the collective process to draft a “Charter of our principles for another Europe”.  ...

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