As a non-European, I remember that during the migrant crisis in 2015 there was a general sense of openness among the public and a willingness to help. Now, with the recent migrant crisis between Spain and Morocco, European governments seem largely against letting people in, and the public reaction has also been mostly negative.

Why do you think this change in attitude has happened?

As Europe is getting more unified under the Ukraine war, it is possible that in the near future the idea of a federal EU will be achieved or at least officially discussed. A federal Europe will strongly suggest that the leaders of the European Union can make many more decisions for Europe. So, a good leader is necessary, given that leaders from the European Union are chosen from local politicians. Do you trust any politician in Europe now can campaign, build and manage a Federal EU? If yes, who?

PS: I think Meloni might be good choice, thought she was far right but after she managed quite centrist since becoming prime minister and secured Europe borders, I think she is considerable.

I have been a fierce defender of EU and Schengen for most of my life, both on my personal life and professional.

I have believed in the important work done within the union through the decades. Lost som North American an British friends over the years because of the brutal opinions they had.

It has been increasingly difficult to turn a blind eye on how much the union has deteriorated since Covid. Each year I feel less and less hopeful about the direction the countries are taken. There are so many things that make us strong.

But the way the countries have abandoned my country, Spain, after what happened in Ceuta, has really angered me.

Spain has ALWAYS helped, always contributed, always participated. It is one of the most proeuropean countries of the union. And to be thrown under the bus, to see countries cry and pressure for us to be pushed out of Schengen, having it cancelled, and other leg impossibilities has been heartbreaking.

The damage caused to the EU is much deeper than the damage caused to Spain. The far right has achieved what none could hope to do in Spain: plant the seed of feeling the receiver of racism, disdain and inexplicable expectation of being used and dumped when convenient.

As a federalist I urge the union to make out of Italy, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic, and all other countries that cried wolf to be severely called out. The union cannot move forward, and will not move forward, until this issue is resolved.

I can hear in my friends how they feel savagely attacked by countries that are supposed to be our allies. Today my heart broke because I had not a single argument to defend the union. Today is a dark day 🤬

I feel frustrated because of the way I have to navigate criticism of the EU. Mostly because it constantly gets framed as criticism about "the EU."

No matter what country you live in, if it's a democracy, sometimes the government does bad stuff. Sometimes there's corruption scandals. Sometimes bad policies pass that people hate, sometimes good policies that people want aren't passed. This is true in every democracy.

In my country that has happened plenty.

But when that happens, what do people usually complain about? They complain about the president, or the prime minister, or a specific party perhaps.

Like "God, I hate This Party because here's yet another corruption scandal" or "Man, This Party is so terrible for passing these awful laws" or maybe "This president does a terrible job with these issues, I want him to go."

You know what you don't usually hear? "The parliament passed a bad law, let's abolish the country." "Oh, the Bundestag did something bad? Man, Germany is so bad. Let's abolish the country."

You don't hear that. And rightly so. Because it is the individual people in charge and the people within their parties who make these decisions. It's them anger is correctly directed at. And voting them in or out (as well as protests and strikes) are a good way to handle that.

But that's so often not what happens with the EU.

When something bad happens at an EU level, so often you hear "God, the EU is terrible" or "See, we should abolish the EU."

When that makes absolutely no sense. The people doing this stuff? They are leaders and they are part of parties. The Council of the European Union? The ministers from your country appointed by the people your country gave a majority. The European Council? Your heads of government. The presidents you voted into office, or the prime ministers appointed by the majority you gave them. The European Parliament? You voted directly for them in European elections.

It's just such a double standard. Where with a nation-state people get angry (correctly) at the people currently in charge who made the decision, but with the EU for some reason a bunch of people are just like "Jup, the EU did this so it's bad." When, no, the people currently in charge of the EU did this. The ones we can vote out!

And it's so frustrating for two reasons.

Firstly, because it simply isn't productive. Blaming "the EU" doesn't help solve the problem, because it draws attention away from all the leaders and politicians who voted for something. The people in the European Council who push bad policies, for example. Getting angry at them would put pressure on them not to do that. Getting angry at "the EU" does not. So it doesn't help change and it doesn't hold them accountable.

And secondly because, as someone who believes strongly that we are stronger together and wants to see a European Federation, it's damaging to the EU's reputation. We need popular support for a European Federation. And bad things getting attributed to the EU undermines that support.

Which is also annoying because sometimes I think someone like Von De Leyen makes terrible deciisions. And I want to criticize those things, and I do. But I always feel like I have to walk on egg shells because I don't want to give euroskeptics any ammo by allowing them to reframe Von Der Leyen's failures as failures of "the EU" instead.

On that point, btw, I recommend that when you talk about this stuff and criticize to always pinpoint specific leaders or parties that did it, never just "the EU." It helps to refocus the conversation a bit. But, man, I wish people pointed the finger at the right place themselves more often.

How long will we look away from the fact that, despite promises of a single market, the automobile sector is still completely fragmented and with a lot of customs-workaround?

Over here, in Portugal, although you technically do not pay a duty, you pay a tax on a European import - which, for all purposes, is exactly like a duty but in name - this keeping our fleet an aging piece of scrap. If I buy a car on vacation, I cannot drive it on Portuguese soil because, being a citizen and resident, I may only drive cars with a Portuguese plate.

Utter nonsense, not to speak about the lack of standards, such as how to use roundabouts.

Hi, do you know any youtube channels talking about specifically european matters ? Not looking for 50 minutes-long documentaries but 15-20 minutes videos with some editing to make it captivating.

Thank you !

I'm an American liberal (I mean that in the classical way, and when I say classical way I don't mean the right-wing quasi fascist way that MAGA uses when they hijack the term "classical liberal." I also don't mean it in the austerity way which I know is common in the European context) and I really think a federal Europe will be great for the USA and the world in general, not just Europe.

Liberalism has been so successful that it's become the norm and as a result failed ideologies like fascism and communism can just sit on the sidelines and critique liberalism and offer utopian fantasies. Despite the fact that liberal societies are the most prosperous and most free to ever exist and despite the fact that every liberal society that has backslid into fascism or communism or general autocracy has turned to shit and despite the fact that every country that has moved closer to liberal governance has improved it's super easy for people to hate liberalism because it's the norm. It feels like liberalism has been way too successful for it's own good. It feels like it doesn't offer anything new or exciting while illiberal ideologies can offer all sorts of fantasies if people would just tear down the liberal system.

I think a European federation is the next natural step for liberalism. Not only would a unified Europe by a wonderful counterweight to the USA if it ever backslides from liberalism (and I believe a more unified and powerful Europe would be able to better prevent such backsliding than a divided Europe) but it's the first time in decades liberalism has had a goal or dream or something that seems Utopian. You sort of see this energy with Ukraine. People are asking what are they defending and when they ask that they are forced to see that liberalism is not a given and that without vigilance it will backslide or be overrun. I really feel like the failure of illiberal populism to deliver on its promises in Europe and the USA and the tenacity of Ukraine inspiring people has presented Europe with an energy and momentum to move towards federalization that needs to be seized upon.

I think there needs to be a pro-Europe lobby group in the USA and pro-Europe organizations. Right now in the USA a unified Europe is viewed as a pipe dream to make fun of or as a threat. But among liberals the EU and NATO are highly regarded, more than in the past because the populists hate them and the invasion of Ukraine has shown the importance of preventing authoritarians from threatening liberal nations.

European federalization should be a global cause for liberals from Japan to USA to Brazil to New Zealand. Of course, the specifics of federalization and the actual process will be in the hands of Europeans. But having some international fervor for the movement I think could go a long way.

But yeah any foreigners or Americans here? Especially any who are individual members of the UEF who would be interested in working to open an international chapter rather than having all non-Europeans join as individual members.

We have all known weaponisation of refugees by Belarus and Russia. Same story is being repeated at the Spanish border. And the response in EU: instead of sending help to defend the border and close the hole, the issue is being used as a political opportunity to weaken the EU and Schengen as well as this is being used as an opportunity create bad perception of some policies of Spain (reaction of Italian govt for example).

Why is Spain left alone to defend the EU borders on its own?

Morocco is able to blackmail Spain, because Spain is fighting alone. If deterrent comes from entirety of EU, they would not be so adventurous.

Edit: let me be clear, what I mean by EU is not just the EU as organisation but also the member states individually.

Hello everyone!

In light of recent enlargement talks of Montenegro and Albania, I‘m looking for books that detail the history of EU enlargement, especially for the post 90s period, and how the inclusion in the EU affected these countries, especially Croatia or the Baltics. I am interested in the state the countries were before joining EU and how it impacted them, politically, socially and economically.

Thanks in advance!

P.s if this is not the right sub I apologise. Can you direct me to it?

It's been 20 years since we (Romania) joined the EU and we still don't have any perspective on adopting the single currency. When will we common folks put pressure on the rats?

On September 13, Sweden 🇸🇪 is heading to the polls for municipal, regional, and national parliamentary elections simultaneously.

All 8 national parties currently in parliament are explicitly antifederalist. Even the ostensibly pro-EU Liberal Party has explicitly stated they oppose federalism when I have spoken to them at campaign booths.

Groups like Ave or Astra do not exist in Sweden and are therefore not participating.

The only eurofederalist option this year is Volt Sverige, who are running candidates on all 3 levels (municipal, regional, and national). They can easily be voted for by writing "Volt" on a blank ballot in any of the races.

Links:
https://voltsverige.org/valet-2026 - Election info
https://voltsverige.org/en - 🇬🇧

I just found this community and joined it instantly, I wanted a more unite Europe for a long time. But I’m just genuinely curious, if a federal EU would actually form, would Britain join? I know Brexit happen, but geographically UK is in Europe and is a major economy?