Strong European Voice in the World Needed today

Press release, 28 September 2006

Today a joint demand for a European foreign minister was handed over to Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja by the Young European Federalists (JEF Europe), the Union of European Federalists (UEF)  and European Movement International (EMI).
The European Constitution would have enabled a single European foreign policy through the creation of a European foreign minister. „It is time to stop pretending that Europe can play a strong global role if we do not have a single European foreign policy. We ask the Finnish presidency and Europe's leaders to reflect on Europe's inability to act and the consequences this has, both for Europe and the world around us“, said Jan Seifert, president of JEF Europe, 
Last week on the international Peace Day, 21 September 2006, JEF activists all across Europe took to the streets to state their demand for a Single European Foreign Policy that would untie the hands of the EU. With signs demanding “Let Europe act for Peace – Single European Foreign Policy now!”, JEFers symbolised the inability of Europe to act for peace by handcuffing themselves. JEF’s pan-European public action took place simultaneously in cities like Paris, Verona, Strasbourg, Bern, Prague, Skopje, Geneva, Belgrade, Brussels and other places across Europe. “Our activists were out there to demand the European leaders to meet their global responsibility. Only a single voice would allow Europe to become a true global player that could promote peace and justice in the world”, Seifert added. 
“We showed trough our cross-border action that it is possible to deliver a strong message by acting jointly across Europe’s borders. It is time the European leaders realize that only by acting together through a single European foreign policy Europe will be able to play an active role on the global arena”, concluded Jan Seifert.
 ENDS