Event report

“On 24 November, on the initiative of the local section of the European Federalist Movement, the Municipal Council of Stradella placed on the agenda the debate and the vote on an appeal addressed to local authorities. The Council was held in plenary, at the headquarters of the Municipality, but ensuring the possibility for citizens to watch the live streaming both from the facebook page and from the institutional website of the Administration. At the opening of the work, the Mayor of Stradella, Alessandro Cantù, read the text of the Appeal which, in the previous days, had been the subject of some additions, agreed at the municipal council among the group leaders. This is the text of the appeal read in plenary: Local authorities for a Europe of solidarity and proximity The City Council of Stradella CONSIDERED that on 10 March 2021 the President of the European Parliament, the President-in-Office of the Council of the EU and the President of the European Commission signed, on behalf of their respective EU institutions, the Joint Declaration on the Conference on the Future of Europe with the aim of achieving the broadest democratic consultation of European citizens on the issues of European integration and reforms that are deemed necessary. Given that the future of our communities cannot be separated from that of the European Union, because support and capacity for political action at European level is essential for our territories and cities to address positively the economic and social transformations linked to the ecological and digital transition: solidarity, development plans and investment are needed, and a common vision at European level to count in the world; Convinced as the institution of government closest to the citizens and the first bulwark of democracy and participation that the Conference on the Future of Europe can be a great democratic opportunity to the extent that it listens and accepts the free opinion of our fellow citizens; Given that the Conference is the right opportunity to give the European Union the strength and authority it derives from the Greek-Roman, Jewish, Christian and Enlightenment historical and cultural roots and to enhance the solidarity support of national cultural traditions; Convinced ALWAYS that the time has come to transfer more powers to the European Parliament to strengthen in the European Union: foreign policy, in the wake of the Atlantic Alliance, with the creation of a military defence force, the market economy in a common economic and fiscal policy, environmental policy with the development of renewable energy sources and support for environmentally friendly productive agriculture to protect the territory, health policy and scientific research in general support for citizens, the support of the right to freedom in opinions and culture, a common action that these rules and resources in the migration policy meet the demands of order and coexistence of European citizens; Noting that the European institutions have committed themselves to follow-up on the outcome of the discussion within the Conference, including any proposals for institutional reform that may emerge, WELCOMES — to deepen, as far as its competence is concerned, the strategy and objectives of the Conference for the Future of Europe, including with regard to possible spill-overs on the ground; — to support moments of debate and debate aimed at understanding the opportunity to improve the role of the European institutions in the context of citizens’ expectations of them, channelling them towards active participation through the platform of the Conference on the Future of Europe. After reading the appeal, the debate opened. First intervened Pierangelo Lombardi (minority councillor) who in the previous days had asked the Council to question the appeal of the Federalist Movement. In his speech, Lombardi recalled the objectives of the Conference to ensure a space for discussion among the citizens of the Union by providing a dedicated digital platform (futureu.europa.eu). It is essential that citizens can express themselves at a time of great turn to give suggestions to their rulers on how to govern the processes in place in the world. On the other hand, the pandemic and the recent international crises in Afghanistan and Belarus have highlighted the need for an increasingly strong Union capable of expressing its own role. Daniele Moscatelli (majority leader and spokesperson) then spoke, who stressed that today something has changed in the Union, stressing that a conference discussing European immigration and taxation is welcome. It is an initiative that involves citizens and this is a change from the past. Yesterday, a Europe was perceived as imposing, while today, thanks to the Conference, we see a Europe that opens up to the citizens. Subsequently, Maria Grazia Vercesi (majority councillor) intervened, who expressed herself in negative terms about the EU that interferes in national policies and limits national sovereignty. The Conference is therefore a mirror for larks, giving new powers to the EU would mean emptying the values of Italy. In support of the participation in the Conference, the Councillor Mattia Grossi (head of a minority list) spoke of how he had already been able to know the contents of the Conference through the site created ad hoc to promote dialogue with citizens. He then again took the word Pierangelo Lombardi (minority councillor) to contradict the image given by Maria Grazia Vercesi of an enemy Union of Italy. There can be different visions and the Conference guarantees the possibility of a free confrontation between supporters of a federal Europe and supporters of a Confederal Europe. Piergiorgio Maggi (minority list leader) took the floor, who, in supporting the thesis of the Appeal, wanted to stress what the Union is doing today for Italy in support of the pandemic. At the end of the debate, the Mayor then put to the vote the text of the Appeal, which was voted unanimously with one abstention. The mayor thanked the councillors for their contribution to the integration of the text, which allowed a calm debate and such broad approval of the appeal proposed by the European Federalist Movement. At the meeting it was possible to verify the presence of 35 citizens, including at least 13 women, in the City Hall and via the web. The average age of the participants was 45 years.