Ministers want to “transform EU into federal state”

Ten EU foreign ministers, including Austrian FM Michael Spindelegger, are planning on turning the EU into a federal state modeled after the U.S. Vienna-based daily Presse claims that the “Group for the Future” is planning on transforming the political system in the Union. Ministers want to “transform EU into federal state” The group was initiated by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. Foreign ministers of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Span have been holding regular meetings since the beginning of the year. They submitted their proposal to European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Central Bank Head Mario Draghi and Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday. The EC president should have a more important role, similar to the role of a prime minister. The EC president would be elected in a direct vote and would be able to form their own team, Die Presse has reported, adding that the EC president would become the most influential politician in Europe since they would be responsible for new laws and their implementation. The daily writes that completely new democratic structures are envisaged by the draft agreement. The EU should become a federal state modeled after the U.S., with a two-house parliamentary system and a president that would be elected in a direct vote. According to Die Presse, the system would create democracy in the EU. The foreign ministers stressed in the draft document that the EU was in need of new democratic structures due to the economic crisis and tendencies to make the monetary union irreversible. They also advocate joint European protection of borders and support the joint foreign and security policy that could even include forming of an EU army. The ten ministers also advocate a direct control of national budgets, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently requested with her fiscal union initiative. According to the daily, they also want national parliaments to be more involved in the decision-making process in the EU. Tanjug

Ministers want to “transform EU into federal state”

The group was initiated by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.

Foreign ministers of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Span have been holding regular meetings since the beginning of the year. They submitted their proposal to European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Central Bank Head Mario Draghi and Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday.

The EC president should have a more important role, similar to the role of a prime minister. The EC president would be elected in a direct vote and would be able to form their own team, Die Presse has reported, adding that the EC president would become the most influential politician in Europe since they would be responsible for new laws and their implementation.

The daily writes that completely new democratic structures are envisaged by the draft agreement. The EU should become a federal state modeled after the U.S., with a two-house parliamentary system and a president that would be elected in a direct vote.

According to Die Presse, the system would create democracy in the EU.

The foreign ministers stressed in the draft document that the EU was in need of new democratic structures due to the economic crisis and tendencies to make the monetary union irreversible.

They also advocate joint European protection of borders and support the joint foreign and security policy that could even include forming of an EU army.

The ten ministers also advocate a direct control of national budgets, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently requested with her fiscal union initiative.

According to the daily, they also want national parliaments to be more involved in the decision-making process in the EU.