Union of European Federalists

The Union of European Federalists (UEF) is an international non-profit association originally founded in 1946 and refounded in 1973, promoting the advent of a European federal state based on the idea of unity in diversity. In 1946, it brought together a number of initiatives, particularly from the Resistance, aimed at creating a European federation, including the Movimento Federalista Europeo created the day after the fall of Benito Mussolini in Milan from 27 to 29 August 1943, under the impetus of the opponent Altiero Spinelli, among others, and the French Committee for the European Federation created in Lyon by members of the "Francs-tireurs" group in June 1944.

Following two Conferences, the first one held in Hertenstein (municipality of Weggis near Zürich in Switzerland), gathering 78 representatives of federalist movements from 16 European countries in September 1946, and the second one in Luxembourg in October of the same year, these groups, who shared the common belief that only a European Federation based on the idea of unity in diversity could prevent a repetition of the suffering and destruction of the two world wars, so they adopted a declaration-programme which was based on this idea. Federalists believed that only a common effort of European citizens working towards this goal could create a peaceful and democratic Europe guaranteeing freedom and the protection of human rights.

The foundation of the UEF followed the two Conference of Hertenstein (municipality of Weggis near Zürich in Switzerland), gathering 78 representatives of federalist movements from 16 European countries in September 1946, and in Luxembourg in October the same year. These groups held the common belief that only a European Federation based on the idea of unity in diversity could prevent a repetition of the suffering and destruction of the two world wars, so they adopted a declaration-programme which was based on this idea. Federalists believed that only a common effort of European citizens working towards this goal could create a peaceful and democratic Europe guaranteeing freedom and the protection of human rights. The federalists decided to found the European Union of Federalists (UEF). Its foundation formally took place in December 1946 in Paris.

At a second meeting in Luxembourg these groups agreed on establishing a permanent European secretariat in Paris and another one in New York City for global federalists. But it was in Paris, on 15 and 16 December 1946 that UEF was officially brought into life, its function being to co-ordinate and intensify the activities of the different movements and to organise them into a federal structure.

The UEF's founding Congress took place in Montreux (Switzerland) from 27 to 31 August 1947. The motions adopted defined the principles of fédéralisme to which the organisation adhered and its objectives for European unification.

Among the association's first leaders were Alexandre Marc, Denis de Rougemont, Altiero Spinelli, Henri Frenay.

Together with the United Europe Movement of Winston Churchill, the UEF participates in the organisation The Hague in May 1948 of the Congress of Europe, in which its ideas were influential, but in a minority. Still today, the UEF keeps is part of the European Movement European Movement International that resulted from that Congress.

After getting a legal status UEF campaigned for the European Federal Pact. It consisted of an attempt to transform the Advisory Assembly of the Council of Europe into the Constituent Assembly of the European Federation. The fundamental tool was a petition, signed by thousands of citizens across Europe and a large number of eminent people in political, intellectual and scientific life, which asked the Advisory Assembly to draw up a text for a federal pact, and recommend its ratification to the member states of the Council of Europe. UEF also campaigned for the ratification of the European Defence Community and for the establishment of a political community.