Today, in the era of capitalist globalisation, they want to go even further. They want to enlarge Europe to include all the countries from the Atlantic to the Russian border, and from the North Pole to the Mediterranean. The ruling classes of the continent want Europe to become a "world economic power". This would lead to a joint domination of the world, competition with the USA, devastation of the Third World, and increased exploitation of European workers. That is why they need a state, a strong state, a European super-power. Up until now, everything was decided behind our backs by 15 European "statespersons" in the closed and confidential "European Sum-mits" and the "Inter-governmental Conferences". It was absolutely necessary for these 'statespersons" that ordinary people did not intervene effectively in decisions that affect them. It was also important for them that workers, women, and youth did not impose at a European level all the gains that they have been able to achieve for the last 150 years. These objectives have been met but the result is a resounding failure!

The EU is more unpopular than ever!

The EU institutions have no legitimacy. Even if the masses want a united Europe, there is one condition: that it meets basic social needs, aspirations and ideals, that is peace, prosperity, happiness and a secure future for the generations to come ! This cannot be delivered by capitalism and the EU.
The ruling classes have therefore two massive problems. First of all, the institutions of the EU are not efficient for the objectives of the European bourgeoisie. It is therefore necessary for them to step up the attacks on democracy and welfare rights. These institutions are also neither known nor accepted by ordinary people who want other rules, other laws, other policies.
The Convention is a trick to square the circlee. There is a pretence to consult the people. But in reality it is the three "statespersons" (former French president Giscard d’Estaing, and two former prime-minister, the Belgian Dehaene and the Italian Amato) who will negotiate in secret with the "statespersons" of the "Big States".
We must refuse to recognise the legitimacy of this conference which has more in common with a circus. It is even outside the usual norms of bourgeois parliamentary democracy.
The only honest and legitimate approach is to allow oniinary people to have their say on the basis of democratic self-determination. This should mean:
- A transparent public debate, in which anybody can participate and with access to modern means of communication.
- The election in the EU member-countries of delegates with a mandate who would form a Congress of the Peoples of Europe. Such a Congress would be large to reflect all opinions and interests, and it will sit as long as is necessary to achieve an understanding between all the delegates.
- The people of the States in the East that are knocking at the door of the EU must be able to say under which conditions they would join by appealing to the people of the members-states.
- As the EU is composed of sovereign states engaged in a process of centralisation, such a Congress cannot be entirely sovereign, that is decide on the role of existing states. Therefore proposals for "Treaties" would be discussed and voted at the Congress but would then have to be ratified in each of the current and future member-states.
Such a proposal which is radically democratic is totally foreign to the EU and incompatible with the interests of the current governments and multinational capital. It will therefore be necessary to mobilise and impose this solution from the bottom up through mobilisations across the EU. It is no coincidence that the social democratic parties and the tradeunion bureaucracies have imposed over the last 20 years a neo-liberal programme and obedience to the institution of the EU, in particular the Commission. All this for a powerful but nevertheless capitalist Europe.