Tatiana Geiselmann 11:46 a.m., May 08, 2022

Two days before Emmanuel Macron's visit to the European Parliament, a march for Europe was organized yesterday in Strasbourg.

A parade led by Young Europeans, at the end of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Among their demands: a more federal and more democratic Europe, with greater power given to citizens.

To close the Conference on the future of Europe and two days before Emmanuel Macron's visit to Strasbourg, a march for Europe was organized yesterday in the Alsatian capital.

Nearly 700 young people of all nationalities marched to the European Parliament to demand a more federal and more inclusive Europe.

The opportunity also to launch an appeal to the French President to place Europe at the heart of his new five-year term.

A political, democratic and social union

"I would like us to talk more about Europe, to talk about it in a positive way and for it to come back to the center of the debates", summarizes Léa, who came especially from Paris to make her voice heard, "personally I am convinced that Europe is our future: it will bring us many things in terms of opportunities, in terms of protection of rights, we cannot function without Europe".

Alongside her, Morgan, 25, an activist with the Young Socialists, also hopes for a more social Europe, "that it go further than the simple logic of the common market and fiscal and social competition between States, to go towards a political, democratic and social union".

However, he does not have too much hope for Emmanuel Macron's policy in this area: "During his previous five-year term, he had promised to bring something new to Europe, but in the end, beyond the words, there was not much done".

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A right of initiative in the European Parliament

Same observation on the side of Sarah, 21, who is still delighted to have a Europhile President.

But for her, the question is not there, it is rather on the side of the power available to the citizens.

"All national parliaments have a right of initiative, but MEPs don't have one", she complains, "and it is these MEPs who are our tools, us citizens, to weigh in European politics". For her, the solution is therefore to introduce a right of initiative in the European Parliament, which would allow MEPs to propose laws, and not only to amend those proposed by the Commission".

Overall, everyone calls for a more democratic and less bureaucratic Europe.

A more federal Europe too, the watchword of this event in the colors of Europe and attended by young Europeans of all nationalities.