🇺🇦🇪🇺 cweickhmann @cweickhmann@qoto.org

I'm a #European #federalist (who used to be young, too).

*What does it mean?*

1.) I believe that #Europe can only overcome it's violence ridden past (internally as well as externally - yeah, I'm looking at you, #colonialism) if it is united in a shared framework of positive values: #democracy, human rights, social rights (yes, #socialism is actually a good thing, but so is #emancipation), #ecology, #participation. None of these are European per se and should not be viewed as such. They can very much be universal but don't claim to be complete or in any way exclusive. But they are an important part of European history. I identify a lot with the European Union as the implementation of much of this framework. But it clearly has biiiiig flaws and can not stay the way it is. I'm aware that "Europe" is just as arbitrary in its boundaries as are nation states. So, what makes Europe Europe is the deliberate, free choice to work together and integrate. Oh, and clearly and objectively the best #food on the planet (fight me).

2.) I believe that political systems are never monolithic. They need to tackle both the most mundane and smallest, and the biggest and most complicated topics. This, in my opinion, is best done by putting topics on appropriate levels. While you should put one as low and hence local as possible, you should put it high enough that it can be tackled effectively. Many topics won't fit on a single level. And while you may find a configuration that suits you at a time, this may become obsolete. #Federalism means you #unite in #diversity and try to keep things local and approachable wherever possible. You move the big things up where you have the collective power to do good. And as such it is constantly evolving and intrinsically complicated (that's an objective downside that I think we should be willing to accept).

And that's that. I encourage everyone to #federalise (or to "Fed up!", I guess 😅) and to consider why this could and should work on a global level to (yes, world #federalism is a thing).