We support the Ukrainian request to join the European Union: the ongoing war imposes critical political decisions among which to speed up the procedure to grant membership to a country under brutal attack. The incoming EU Commission should do everything in her power to fulfill the European aspirations of the Ukrainians. It will be a powerful political act to concretely follow up to the promises towards the East and the Western Balkans in line with the ideals of sustainable peace, freedom, democracy and the Rule of Law of the EU and its people.
Explanatory Statement (to be published only in English)
The “Eukraine Now” appeal advocates an urgent popular and institutional action for Ukraine’s admission as a member of the European Union.
Urgent measures can only take place through the prescribed legislative procedures and by activating the competent institutions.
For this reason our appeal to the EU governments and EU institutions is focused on the priority of the most immediate actions regarding the procedure to accept Ukraine’s membership request.
In a perspective realization of “sustainable peace”, these actions must be accompanied by long-term reforms necessary to relaunch a stronger Europe in a peaceful world through the active involvement and participation of European citizens.
The conflict in Ukrainian, as with any war or emergency, deserves the highest level of information and transparency and citizens must be involved in an open and informed debate on its developments and related issues.
A number of recommendations adopted at the Conference urge the need to enhance mechanisms for regular citizens’ participation and consultation at EU level. In particular recommendations 18 and 39 adopted by European Citizens’ Panel 2 “European democracy / Values and rights, rule of law, security”, that requested the introduction of a EU Referendum and a EU Citizens’ Assembly.
Ukraine’s request to become a EU member may become the object of an EU referendum or an EU Citizens’ Assembly. In addition to this, a specific EU Citizens’ Assembly should address broader reforms with respect to the geopolitics of Europe, such as common defense policy and common energy policy, included in recommendations 2 and 20 of the European Citizens’ Panel 4 “EU in the World / Migration”.
As the Ventotene Manifesto stated some 80 years ago, never again children should have been “taught to handle weapons and to hate what is foreign” ot that individual liberty would be reduced to “practically nought since everyone is part of the military establishment and constantly subject to recall in the armed forces”.
Wars continue to force “men to abandon families, jobs, property, often demanding the ultimate sacrifice for reasons of which no one really understands the value”. Our Europe was created to end all this.
In these dire times reactions to the war should be exceptional, urgent as well as forward looking. Ukranians deserve it, all the people at risk of the expansion of the current conflict deserve it.