Press release from UEF
The victory of the "NO" in the referendum on Scotland's independence saves the United Kingdom and it avoids the risk of triggering a process of subsequent secessions in other European countries that would be disruptive not only for such countries, but also for Europe's stability and integration.
The result of the referendum can't and won't put an end to the legitimate aspirations of Scotland and other European regions to self-government and their demands for political decisions close to the citizens and respectful of the diversity of European regions.
"European nation states are increasingly in crisis. They are too small, too weak and still too little integrated to play an effective role in a globalised world, deliver solutions for the economic crisis and contribute to solving the security challenges at Europe's borders. At the same time, some of them are too centralised and dysfunctional to manage the economic, political and cultural diversity of their regions and satisfy their demands for closer accountability of political decisions", declares Paolo Vacca, Secretary-General of the Union of European Federalists, in response to the results of the referendum.
"The creation of more 'micro-states', with their illusion of independence and sovereignty, is not the solution: it would bring only instability at national and European level. There is just a progressive answer: to relaunch federalism, both at national and at European level. The two trends must go together. Without progress to federalism at national level, member states will continue fostering frustration and separatism in Europe's regions. Without a progress to a federal Europe, particularly in the Euro-zone, EU members states would lack the economic and political stability necessary to face a debate on their constitutional re-organisation and they would ultimately fail the broader economic and political challenges they are facing."
Europe needs unity in diversity, strong central governments with strong local governments, at national and European level. This is exactly what federalism can offer to Europe today.
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EDITOR'S NOTE
The Union of European Federalists (UEF), is a supranational political movement founded in 1946 dedicated to uniting Europe along federal lines.
