The  Union of  European  Federalists  welcomes  President  Prodi’s  initiative  of  presenting  a  first complete  draft  constitution  which has  the  great  merit  of  showing  the  European public and  the reluctant national governments that the outcome of the Convention can be a Constitution;

The UEF welcomes especially the confirmation of the specific nature of the European Union, being founded not only on the legitimacy of its member states, but also on those of the peoples;

The UEF congratulates the Commission : 

- for having proposed fundamental changes that will make possible the escape from the deadend  road of  intergovernmentalism,  like  the  elimination  of  unanimity  and  the  adoption  of decisions by the Council by double simple majority of the members states and the population,

- for having proposed the creation of the function of a Secretary of the Union, Vice-President of the Commission (for foreign and security policy),

- for having mentioned neither the idea of the ‘Congress of the Peoples’ nor the possibility of intergovernmental  actions  within  the  Union  that  were  introduced by  the  President  of  the Convention, nor the proposal of certain member states of establishing a long-term European Presidency;

Furthermore,  UEF is  delighted by the  proposal that the  European  Parliament  should  elect the President  of  the  Commission.  On  the  other  hand,  UEF  fears  that  the election by  a  two-third majority prevents the results of the European elections to be truly reflected and risks leading to agreements between the two ‘elephant’ groups of the European Parliament; 

Finally, UEF welcomes the procedural proposals of the draft constitution presented by President Prodi on how to make an entering into force of the Constitution possible even if a small group of member states is not able to ratify the draft;