FEDERALIST DEBATE & TRAINING WEEKEND
Paris, France | 15-16 February 2014
PRESENTATION
The Federalist Debate & Training Weekend is an international seminar for experienced and new activists and members of UEF (Union of European Federalists) and JEF (Young European Federalists) who are interested in discussing federalism and current European political issues from a federalist perspective and to engage into a practical training on campaigning for a federal Europe and specifically for the European Parliament elections.
The event will focus on subjects and activities relevant for the European Parliament elections with the target to consolidate a network of national, regional, local focal points and multipliers for UEF campaign for the elections. It will be organised around three main elements:
(1) POLITICS – a panel on current political issues that could become topical in the election campaign;
(2) FEDERALISM – a panel on a structural federalist topic relevant in the current debate and in the European elections);
(3) CAMPAIGNING – a practical campaign-oriented session and 3 workshops on matters related to the European elections.
Around 80 participants are expected from France and across Europe. The event is also open to some non-members who are interested to know more about federalism and to start being involved in the federalist organisations. Mix of speakers from federalist organisation and external (internationals and locals) will participate in the panel debates on the European elections.
PARTICIPATION CONDITIONS
PARTICIPANTS REQUIRING ACCOMMODATION
No participation fee, No travel reimbursement.
Accommodation and catering directly covered by the seminar organisers:
Friday and Saturday night in double rooms.
Saturday breakfast, snack lunch and dinner ; Sunday breakfast and snack lunch; all coffee breaks.
For those requesting a single room, a surcharge of 80 Euro applies (covers both nights).
Participants are requested to provide a copy of their tickets as UEF needs to evidence participants’ travel costs as own contribution and co-financing of the event.
PARTICIPANTS NOT REQUIRING ACCOMMODATION
Participation fee of 35 Euro.
Catering directly covered by the seminar organisers :
Saturday snack lunch and dinner; Sunday snack lunch; all coffee breaks.
For participants not joining the dinner on Saturday, the participation fee is reduced to 20 Euros.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply by filling the online application form.
Deadline for application Sunday 15 December 2013.
Accepted participants will be notified by email by Friday 21 December 2013.
To confirm participation, accepted participants will be required to pay a confirmation fee of 100 Euro by Wednesday 2 January 2014:
The confirmation fee will be returned in cash in Paris at the start of the seminar.
Passed the deadline, all unconfirmed participants will be replaced by other applicants.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information and questions you can contact:
Lucia Odone, UEF Action & Events Officer, lucia.odone[at]federalists.eu, +32 (0)2 508 30 30
Mana Livardjani, UEF Director, mana.livardjani[at]federalists.eu, +32 (0)2 508 30 30
| DRAFT PROGRAM | |
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FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY Arrival and registration of participants requiring accommodation
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| SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY
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| 9.00 | Arrival and registration of participants
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| 9.30 | Opening session (Plenary)
Presentation of the seminar & introduction of participants Welcoming speech
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| 10.00 | Session I (Plenary)
WHICH POLICIES AND WHICH REFORMS TO THE INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNANCE OF THE EUROZONE AND THE UNION TO BRING EUROPE OUT OF THE CRISIS?” Matters that will be addressed in the introductions: How to get Europe out of the crisis? How to balance austerity, solidarity and growth? Is a “fiscal union” just the power to control national budgets or should it be also the independent power to tax and spend at European level? Which institutional reforms for the new emerging economic governance of the European Union and the Eurozone Does the Eurozone need its own budget and power to tax and spend? How far can the consolidation of the Eurozone go within the EU Treaties? Will the UK and maybe other countries need a new looser form of “associated membership” to the EU to remain members?
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| 12.30 | Lunch
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| 13.30 | Session II (Plenary)
“NATIONAL AND EUROPEAN SOVEREIGNTY AND DEMOCRACY IN QUESTION. IS FEDERALISM THE ENEMY OR THE SOLUTION? WHAT IS AT STAKE IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS?” Matters that will be addressed in the introductions: Is European integration hollowing national democracy and sovereignty? Can an ever closer European political unity coexist with national democracy? What can “European sovereignty” really mean? Can a genuine European democracy be built and how? Is federalism the enemy of national sovereignty and democracy? Or instead can federalism reconcile national and European democracy? Why is federalism so misunderstood? Can the European elections be a moment to enhance European democracy?
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| 16.00 | Coffee Break
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| 16.30 | Session III (Plenary)
“TOWARD THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: EXPLAINING THE UEF AND JEF MANIFESTOS, ADDRESSING THE MANIFESTOS OF THE EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES” Introductions by representatives of UEF, JEF and European political parties
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| 19.00 | Drink
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| 20.00 | Dinner & Social Activity
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| SUNDAY 16 FEBRUARY
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| 8.30 | Arrival and coffee
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| 9.00 | Organisation of the day
Presentation of the topics of the training sessions
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| 9.15 | Session IV
Parallel Workshops of 1 hour each (each Workshop will runs 3 times, so each participant can attends all 3 Workshops) Workshop I: TOWARD THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: COUNTERING EUROSCKEPTICS AND NATIONALISTS – FEDERALIST ARGUMENTS AND HOW AND WHERE TO USE THEM Workshop II: TOWARD THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: ADDRESSING CANDIDATES AND PARTIES – WHAT TO ASK, HOW AND WHERE Workshop III: TOWARD THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: ENGAGING THE PEOPLE – DEVELOPING MESSAGES, SHARING BEST PRACTISES
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| 12.15 | Closing Session
WHAT CAN I DO? HOW TO GET ENGAGED IN THE UEF AND JEF CAMPAIGNS IN THE NEXT MONTHS
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| 13.00 | Closing and departure |