SEPARATE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO 2025? German politician Martin Schulz wants to strengthen the EU and expel those who disagree

Martin Schulz, German politician, president of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, longstanding deputy and former European Parliament speaker want to radically change the structure of the European Union

The president of the German Social Democratic Party (SDP) wants to redesign the EU into the "United States of Europe" by the end of 2025, under a constitutional treaty. Those who disagree with the federal constitution that will be made according to Martin Schulz's proposal will automatically have to leave the EU

The European hope for the creation of a consolidated constitution fell in 2005 when the Dutch and French failed to ratify the "Treaty of Europe for Europe" signed in Rome on 29 October 2004.

The text seeks to replace the existing one-text treaties of the European Union (EU). After three years of thinking, EU members have signed the Lisbon Treaty, which consolidated European institutions without losing the privileges of the Member States' sovereignty.

Schulz now wants to resurrect the decade-long idea of federal Europe. He thinks that, by 2025, the EU will consolidate with the aim of addressing the common challenges faced by member states, including domestic and foreign security, asylum and monetary affairs.

"I want to implement the European Constitutional Treaty that creates a federal Europe," Schulz said at the SPD party congress in Berlin. He explained that only a decisive European Union can effectively fight climate change, tackle the challenge of migration, fight tax evasion and pressurize the internet giants to respect the rights of EU citizens, as well as to counteract right-wing extremism in Europe.

"Europe is our life insurance," Schulz said. "It's the only chance and we have to keep up with the rest of the world."

The politician foresees that the European Constitutional Treaty should have been made up of constitutional conventions involving civil society organizations and ordinary citizens.

"This constitution must then be presented in all member states and those who disagree will have to leave the EU automatically", the German media quoted former European Parliament Speaker (2012-2017).

While pointing to the brave ambitions, Schulz managed to figure out how he was planning to collect support for his somewhat utopian idea, as the EU faces numerous crises ranging from saving measures and current terrorist threats to Brexit and secessionist movements in Scotland and Catalonia.

In fact, Germany itself has now come to the center of its own crisis, after failing to form a coalition government in the Bundestag's election law in September. Citizen frustration with migration policy Angela Merkel has drastically reduced the popularity of her party. At the same time, support for the Anti-Immigrant Alternative for Germany (AFD) jumped, enabling them to enter parliament for the first time.

• 10 Dec, 2017
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