Socialists split over push for ‘new federalism’

Date: 08/03/01

By Simon Taylor

INFIGHTING has broken out among Socialist MEPs over calls by leading members of their group for a new push for federalism.

UK, Irish and Scandinavian MEPs are angry that 28 parliamentarians, including assembly vice-president David Martin and former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard, did not consult them on a plan for the future of Europe until the last minute.

The document, entitled 'The New Federalism', argues that the European Commission should be renamed the EU Government and its President should become the EU prime minister.

"Quite a few people have had their noses put out of joint by the way this document was drawn up," said one Socialist MEP. "It was done as though no-one was supposed to know about it."

Officials say the argument reflects divisions among European Socialists over the future direction of the EU, highlighted by the decision of pro-federalist former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzales to challenge UK Foreign Minister Robin Cook for the presidency of the Party of European Socialists.

The paper will be discussed by Socialist leaders when they meet for their annual congress in Berlin on 7-8 May, but so far only one MEP from each of the UK, Irish and Austrian delegations has backed the plan.

In the paper, the MEPs take a critical stance towards the negotiations over the Nice treaty, which they say showed a rise in "national egotism". They argue that the Union should defend Europe's traditional social model with an "aggressive global stance" supported by a military capacity. This would provide a balance to the US, which it accuses of being "drunk with power".

Simon Murphy, president of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, warned against prejudging the issues. "I'm more interested in getting proper mechanisms in place for the debate," he said.

Infighting has broken out among Socialist MEPs over calls by leading members of their group for a new push for federalism.