This is the second lesson of the macro topic, “Ventotene Manifesto,” in the first module of EUPress Teacher Training.
The objective of this lesson, led by Prof. Fabio Masini, is to discuss the contemporary relevance of the Ventotene Manifesto for today’s Europe.
Eight decades after its publication, the Ventotene Manifesto remains a foundational text for understanding the case for European federalism. Yet what still resonates today is not just its radical message — but the intellectual tradition from which it emerged and the political dilemmas it tried to solve.
The federalist roots of Ventotene
The manifesto didn’t appear out of nowhere. Its authors — Altiero Spinelli, Ernesto Rossi, and Eugenio Colorni — drew on a rich intellectual tradition of European federalism stretching back to the 19th century. Among their influences:
- Alexis de Tocqueville, whose reflections on American federalism inspired European thinkers to imagine a similar structure for the continent.
- Luigi Einaudi, who began advocating European federalism as early as 1896.
- Giovanni Agnelli and Attilio Cabiati, who explored federalist economic and political solutions long before Ventotene.
- British thinkers like Phillip Kerr (Lord Lothian) and Lionel Robbins, who debated federalism in the context of managing the British Commonwealth.
These ideas converged onto the island of Ventotene, where the manifesto’s authors — writing under Fascist confinement — reframed federalism as both a philosophical critique of the nation state and a practical method for peace.
The nation state: from innovation to obstacle
Contrary to simplistic interpretations, the manifesto begins by acknowledging the nation state’s historic role. It praises the state for overcoming tribal fragmentation, fostering political unity, and creating larger economic systems.
But Spinelli and his co-authors also argue this role is now exhausted. After two world wars, the state has become a barrier to peace and democratic control, corrupted by monopolistic interests and incapable of containing nationalism’s destructive force.
Their core thesis: Europe needs a new constitutional order that is no longer built on absolute state sovereignty, but on a federal structure that shares power across levels of governance.
A manifesto rooted in history, yet still ahead of its time
Ventotene’s call for a multi-layered European federation was inspired by the U.S. Constitution of 1787 — but adapted to Europe’s own history. It was neither utopian nor anti-institutional: it was a detailed political design for a post-war Europe that would prevent both totalitarianism and state rivalry.
Yet, even today, much of the manifesto’s programme remains unfulfilled. The European Union has adopted shared laws, a common currency, a semi-federal parliament, and a charter of rights — but the “constitutional moment” Spinelli hoped for still feels incomplete.
What’s left of Ventotene today? A reminder that Europe has already come far — and a provocation to imagine what a truly democratic and post-national Union might still become.
