- While the whole of Europe (including the 13 candidate countries applying for membership in the European Union) is busy deciding its own future within the European Convention, France and Germany have uttered a clear and decisive NO to the war of George W. Bush. This they have done as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Treaty marking the reconciliation between their peoples.

The US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, said there should be no concern about two countries that were 'Old Europe'. Well, 'wise' would have been the more appropriate word, European Commission President Romano Prodi replied. The Continent, he noted, was able to emerge from the ashes of war and rebuild what is today a Europe of peace and prosperity that does not want to again pay the price it has already paid. Indeed, 'wise'. In this way, we young Europeans feel proud, for a day, to be a part of the old, wise Europe.



The 'old' Europe

But have France and Germany spoken on behalf of Europeans, both young and old? Unfortunately they have not, because more than one European leader has already informed us that he would not hesitate a single second to obey the orders of the American General. These leaders represent a variety of identities, from UK to Spain, to Italy's Silvio Berlusconi who seems to have a poor memory of when together with France, Germany and the Benelux countries, Italy helped lay the first stone to build the 'old' Europe referred to above.

Nevertheless, we believe that the overwhelming majority of Europeans, not just the French and the Germans, do not at all agree with this senseless war, which could lead to an uncontrollable destabilisation of the entire Middle East.

European voice

But who gives Europeans a voice? No one. Although in words virtually everyone seems to agree that Europe needs a common foreign and security policy, nobody really seems prepared to draw the consequences of this. This boils down to saying that Europe needs to have a government that can decide (meaning one that responds to a majority of States and citizens) the lines of a truly European foreign and security policy. A real European army also needs to be created (in the form of a rapid intervention force) that is under the leadership of the European government, which gives this policy credibility and effectiveness. Lastly, Europe has to have a single representative on the UN Security Council.

European leaders remain profoundly divided
Until such time, the 'old' Europe will not speak with one voice and will continue to turn the other cheek when 'slapped' in the face, generating frustration and mistrust among its own citizens. These citizens are perfectly aware that those deciding peace and war are not the leaders they elected but an American President satisfying the needs of his own Administration and deaf to the wishes of public opinion in Europe. We must also not think that the temporary European agreement to extend the inspections has changed anything. European leaders remain profoundly divided, and their apparent unity will immediately fall apart as soon as a decision has to be made whether or not to intervene militarily.

Two Presidents do not solve the problem
Neither France's nor Germany's government seems to have come up with a solution to the problem, even if both countries have offered the old Europeans an outburst of pride. The joint project that the two presented to the Convention, whereby Europe would have two heads or two Presidents, does not solve the problem of government and keeps security policy in the hands of the national governments. They decide by unanimity and are subject to the blackmail of vetoes dictated by national interests often at odds with one another.

A draft federal Constitution
Who then can fulfil the expectations of Europe's citizens? Who can give them back the hope of deciding our future? Only the European Convention can do that. It was born of the desire to bring Europe's citizens closer to the institutions, and the Convention has to courageously act as interpreter of this desire, adopting a draft federal Constitution that gives life to the first democratic government of Europe, as called for by the European Youth Convention.

Popular referendum in all the States of Europe
Nonetheless, as the whole story of European unification has demonstrated, for there to be courageous and innovative decisions there needs to be an end to unanimity. Without the elimination of unanimity, Europeans would not elect today a Parliament and would not be walking around with a single currency. For this, if the Convention is to propose a Constitution capable of responding to the concerns and worries of Europe's citizens, the Convention will have to adopt its own draft by a majority and ask that it be submitted the same day to a popular referendum in all the States of Europe.

The States where the citizens approve the new European Constitution will in this way form a federal vanguard in a larger confederated Union. This vanguard will not be a closed group but an open community that the other European States will be able to join at any time by ratifying the Constitution. So out of the seed of old Europe will grow a new Europe whose citizens will again be able to decide their own future, supporting wisely a future of peace.


GIACOMO FILIBECK - President of the European Youth Convention and of the European Youth Forum