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1. Member States and political reform of the EU
– Member States must engage with the issues to be addressed by the
European Council during 2018, particularly the social dimension of
Europe, economic and monetary union, globalization, European de-
fence, EU finances and the most pressing institutional issues, while also
reserving sufficient space to discuss models for the future operation of
the EU described in the White Paper on the Future of Europe. This de-
bate must receive institutional support and funding from political enti-
ties at the central, regional and local level, promoting the greatest pos-
sible involvement of civil society and public opinion.
– Drawing on the European Parliament’s contribution to the future of
Europe (two resolutions in February 2017), the European Commission
should develop a legislative initiative (including, if necessary, proposed
reform of the treaties through a Constitutional Convention) which
goes beyond simply identifying general political scenarios regarding the
operation of the EU, and advances towards a federal political union.
– Transnational lists for the European Parliament elections should be seen
as a valuable tool to Europeanize political debate. If these are not pos-
sible in 2019, then they absolutely must be implemented by 2024.
2. The values of the EU and the nationalist challenge
– We need a mechanism to monitor ongoing compliance with the Copen-
hagen criteria by Member States, measuring respect for democratic values
Recommendations
European Affairs Council of the Fundación Alternativas*
*
The European Affair Council of the Fundación Alternativas is composed as follows: Diego
López Garrido (director), Nicolás Sartorius, Juan Moscoso, Carlos Carnero, Vicente Palacio,
Manuel de la Rocha Vázquez, José Candela, Jesús Ruiz-Huerta, Enrique Ayala, Carlos Closa,
José Manuel Albares, José Luis Escario, María Muñiz, Emilio Ontiveros, María Joao Rodrígues,
Francisco Aldecoa, Soledad Gallego, Irune Aguirrezábal, Josep Borrell, Doménec Ruiz and
Xavier Vidal-Folch. Permanent guests at meetings of the Council are Gero Maass, Delegate
to Spain of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, and María Pallares, programme coordinator, also of
the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.