European federalism

European federalism is a political movement advocating a federal union among European countries, with authority shared between a common government and its member states.

Ventotene Manifesto: A 1941 political text by Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi advocating a free and united Europe. Its call for a European federation became a foundational program for postwar federalists.
Federalism: A system of government that constitutionally divides authority between a shared government and constituent units. European federalism applies this governing arrangement across European countries.
Henri Brugmans: A Dutch political scientist and early leader of the Union of European Federalists. He helped organize federalist advocacy and develop its postwar intellectual program.
Intergovernmentalism: An approach to international cooperation in which national governments retain primary decision-making authority. It favors national control where federalists would transfer powers to common institutions.
European Union: A political and economic union of European countries governed by common treaties and institutions. It embodies substantial shared governance but is not a federal state.
Altiero Spinelli: An Italian politician and political theorist who campaigned for European federation. His activism carried the Ventotene program into postwar European institutions.
Subsidiarity: The principle that decisions should be made at the lowest level capable of handling them effectively. It offers a rule for deciding which powers belong at European rather than national level.
Denis de Rougemont: A Swiss writer and thinker who promoted European unity and regional diversity. His cultural vision of Europe offered a federal alternative to centralized nationalism.
Confederalism: A political arrangement in which sovereign states cooperate through a common body with limited authority. It preserves more state sovereignty than the federal union European federalists propose.
Treaty of Maastricht: The 1992 treaty that established the European Union and expanded integration among its members. It deepened common governance while retaining a major role for national governments.

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