This is the fifth lesson of the macro topic, “Concepts and Categories to Understand the EU and Its Development and Working,” in the first module of EUPress Teacher Training.
The objective of this lesson, led by Pietro Sala, is to discuss European federalism.
Federalism has long been a guiding — yet unfinished — vision for European integration. Rooted in the ideas of thinkers like Altiero Spinelli and shaped by crises from post-war reconstruction to the eurozone collapse, federalism offers a blueprint for understanding how and why the European Union evolves the way it does.
The Ventotene Manifesto: a foundational text for European federalism
Written in 1941 by Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi, the Manifesto for a Free and United Europe—better known as the Ventotene Manifesto—is widely regarded as the intellectual birth of European federalism. Its core message was that only a European Federation could ensure lasting peace, economic progress, and independence in a world dominated by superpowers.
Crucially, the manifesto reframed Europe’s political divide: not between left and right, but between federalists and nationalists.
From ideals to institutions: the gradual path of integration
Federalism suffered early setbacks. Proposals for a European Defence Community (EDC) and political union failed in the 1950s, overshadowed by sectoral integration projects led by figures like Jean Monnet, who favored a more pragmatic, step-by-step method.
Yet the federalist vision re-emerged in moments where intergovernmental approaches failed:
- During debates on a European army, federalists argued the force should be accountable to a democratically elected European government.
- This led to Article 38 in the EDC Treaty: a constituent-like provision envisioning a democratic assembly to draft Europe’s political architecture.
Although the EDC never materialized, these debates planted the seed for the direct election of the European Parliament and, decades later, the launch of the single currency — both seen by federalists as crucial milestones toward a true federation.
The Albertini model: crises, initiative, leadership
Political theorist Mario Albertini offered a framework to explain the timing and direction of European integration:
“Every advance in integration is a response to a crisis — when national powers are insufficient.”
His model identifies three key elements:
- Crisis – exposing the limits of purely national responses (e.g., financial crash, pandemic, war).
- Initiative – a proposal for a European solution, often driven by federalist thinkers or movements.
- Leadership – adoption by a powerful national or European actor (e.g., France/Germany, or the European Commission).
This model helps explain why integration moves forward in some areas (like monetary policy or climate action), but stalls in others (such as common defence).
Europe’s unfinished federation
Despite its advances, the EU is not yet a federal system. Member States still control essential powers — taxation, military, constitutional change. Key decisions require unanimity among governments.
Yet, federalism remains a living force:
- The euro created a single currency without a single treasury — a contradiction federalists argue must be resolved.
- The NextGenerationEU recovery plan, financed with common debt, marks a historic shift toward shared fiscal policy.
As crises continue to test Europe — from financial instability to geopolitical threats — the unfulfilled federal promise of Ventotene re-emerges: that to “unite or perish” is still a choice for Europe’s future.
