- Recognition of the democratic right to self-determination.
- Reform for the European Committee of the Regions. It should be able to influence and amend European legislation.
- The European Parliament must have the right to initiate legislation
Our values
In recent years, there have been huge developments that have impacted the life of every European: a global pandemic, the Brexit, or Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In each case, the response was at least partly a European one. European-level solutions are the appropriate response to global challenges. But every part of Europe has its own unique needs, and a centralising Union will be doomed to fail both in understanding and providing for the needs of its citizens. For EFA, democracy and decentralisation must go hand in hand.
For now, the EU’s own democracy is incomplete. Is the EU a real union of its citizens, or merely a club of states? Europe’s citizens and peoples are finding their voice, and they demand to be heard.
We want to see a strong, decisive and effective Union. One which focuses on the powers that deliver a better Europe, which generates added value, and which is built from the bottom up. That is what EFA stands for: a political model that truly reflects its peoples and their interests. One that can give them representation, empowerment and hope.
We want a Europe that works for all.
- Introduction of a special status for islands into EU law.
- The right to use many more languages in the European Parliament, and for EU citizens to write to the EU institutions in their mother tongue.
- Establishment of a European Ombudsman for Minority Rights.
- A flexible European law allowing for case-by-case pragmatic solutions, supporting farmers’ sustainable practices and promoting local markets.
- Recognition of landscape as part of the intangible cultural heritage of Europe’s peoples.
- Renewable and low carbon energy projects in harmony with the local communities.
- The EU should take a particular role in standing up for the rights of minorities worldwide.
- We must continue to provide as much solidarity with Ukraine as we can, but also take a stronger role in the diplomatic response.
- Support for Ukraine’s path towards EU accession, as well as that of the Western Balkans and Moldova.
- Decentralised decision-making, and a greater regional focus on investment strategies.
- A fairer system of distributing funding: one where every region of Europe can determine its own needs.
- We want to see all EU member states join the Schengen Zone so long as they meet the (merit-based) conditions.
