New steps after the rejection of the European Constitutional Treaty

The rejection of the European Constitutional Treaty by France and the Netherlands, by its magnitude and by its anti-neoliberal, democratic, social, pacifist, egalitarian and environment-friendly character, opens a new period in Europe.

A large number of European citizens are deprived of their right to express themselves in the ballot boxes. The anti-neoliberal No in France and the Netherlands has created an new historical situation which will now allow the development of a great debate throughout the continent on the nature of the European project. Such a debate will require the widespread involvement of the peoples of Europe in the process. This is why we are proposing from June onwards the exploration of political convergences at a European scale.

This is why, together with all those who wish to move towards a Europe which would be the opposite of the neoliberal model, towards a social, democratic, feminist and pacifist Europe based on solidarity, the political, trade-union, associative, ecological and antiglobalisation forces who campaigned together for the No vote, alongside the Europarliamentary GUE/NGL group, the European Appeals and different European initiatives want to encourage cooperation in Europe by inviting you to a Working Conference in Paris on 24 and 25 June 2005.

This will be an opportunity to make contacts, without any prior commitments, in order to exchange views about the new European context, about the possibilities of spreading a great democratic debate across the continent, about our common demands at a European level, about our alternative proposals and our immediate goals.

Already, over sixty delegations from eighteen countries have signalled their desire to participate, delegations that represent political, trade-union, and social-movement forces, working group networks linked to the ESF, European parliamentary groups and citizens from across Europe.

Agenda

Friday, 24 June

13.30 - Registration
14.00-17.00 - Panorama of the situation and initiatives on the European question in the different countries and at the European level
17.30-21.00 - What are the possible convergences for campaign goals and common initiatives ?

Saturday, 25 June

09.00-12.00 - Next meetings, diary of events ; conclusions from the Conference (is it possible to have a short concluding text ?)

 Languages : French, English, Spanish, German

 Place : Espace Niemeyer, 2 place du Colonel Fabien, 75019 Paris, M° Colonel Fabien