The increasing power of the EU's supranational bodies (EP pictured), and further integration in areas such as defence, are often seen as signs of the federalisation of the EU. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU

Federal Europe is a speculative scenario where a politically united Europe, usually in the modern context of the European Union (EU), would acquire the full features of a federation. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" Currently there are no plans for the EU to declare federal status, although some see it as what would be the final step of European integration. European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe

The European Union is the most recent attempt to create a united Europe, and the first that is based on factual democracy and voluntary enlargement. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system Enlargement of the European Union is the process of expanding the European Union (EU through the accession of new member states. Its member states have throughout fifty years been intergovernmentally pooling powers, harmonised national policies and created supranational institutions. A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto There are currently five institutions of the European Union which govern the Union How far this integration should go, and whether or not federalism is desirable, is subject to much debate. European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe

Although often limited to certain fields of policy, the current nation-like features of the EU include the European Parliament, a common civil service (the European Commission), a single Foreign Representative, a common Security and Defence Policy, a supranational court (European Court of Justice) and a record of deploying many peacekeeping forces. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU The European Civil Service is the Civil service serving the Institutions of the European Union. The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union. The High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (HR is the main co-ordinator of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union The European Security and Defence Policy or ESDP is a major element of the Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar of the European Union This article refers to the European Union court not the European Court of Human Rights of the Council of Europe The Court of Justice Most of the Union also has open internal borders and the euro is adopted by most EU countries as a shared single currency. The term Schengen Agreement is used for two agreements concluded among European states in 1985 and 1990 which deal with the abolition of systematic Border controls Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e

"United States of Europe" is a term often used among writers of speculative fiction and science fiction, political scientists and futurologists. Speculative fiction is a term used as an inclusive descriptor covering a group of Fiction Genres that speculate about worlds that are unlike the real world in This is a list of notable political scientists See the List of political theorists for those who study politics without using the Scientific method. Futurists, or futurologists, are those who speculate about the future It draws parallels to the United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[1] This concrete comparison provokes opposition among some EU citizens. Euroscepticism Euro (disambiguation --> has become a general term for opposition to the process

In the past, various empires and military powers have achieved control over large parts of the European continent, and often introduced imperial structures by force. Notable among these are the Roman Empire, the First French Empire, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Empire of the French (1804-1814 also known as the Empire of France, Greater French Empire, First French Empire, French Empire, or Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

European Union

Further information: European Union, European integration, and European Union member state

The political climate after the end of World War II favoured unity in Western Europe, seen by many as an escape from the extreme forms of nationalism which had devastated the continent. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation ^[2] One of the first successful proposals for European cooperation came in 1951 with the European Coal and Steel Community. European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe The European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC) was a six-nation International organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating Since then, the European Community has reformed itself from being an organisation creating and ensuring internal free trade through wielding certain supranational powers strictly related to economy and trade, to one in which a whole range of policy areas where its member states believe they benefit from working together. A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto

The process of intergovernmentally pooling powers, harmonising national policies and creating and enforcing supranational institutions, is called European integration. There are currently five institutions of the European Union which govern the Union European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe Other than the vague aim of "ever closer union" in the Solemn Declaration on European Union, the Union (meaning its member governments) has no current policy to create either a federation or a confederation. The Solemn Declaration on European Union was signed by the then 10 heads of state and government on 19 June, 1983, in Stuttgart. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution

Debate on European unity is often vague as to the boundaries of 'Europe'. The word 'Europe' is widely used as a synonym for the European Union, although much of the European continent is still not in the EU. This article deals with the general meaning of the term "synonym" The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

'Multi-speed integration'

Main article: Multi-speed Europe

A thesis, sometimes referred to as a 'Multi-speed Europe', envisions an alternative type of European integration, where the EU countries who want a federal EU, can boost their own integration, while other countries may go at a slower pace. This article is on the 1948 treaty which served as a basis for the Western Union The Treaty of Paris, signed on 18 April, 1951 between France, West Germany, Italy and the three BeNeLux countries The Merger Treaty (or Brussels Treaty) was an European treaty which combined the executive bodies of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC The Single European Act (SEA was the first major revision of the Treaty of Rome that formally established the single European market and the European Political Cooperation The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final The Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, commonly known as the Amsterdam Treaty The Nice Treaty was signed by European leaders on 26 February, 2001 and came into force on 1 February 2003. The Treaty of Lisbon (also known as the Reform Treaty) is a Treaty designed to streamline the workings of the European Union (EU with amendments to the The European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom is an international organisation which is semi-independent of but completely controlled by the European Community The European Coal and Steel Community ( ECSC) was a six-nation International organisation serving to unify Western Europe during the Cold War and creating The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 The Treaty of Maastricht, which established the European Union, divided EU policies into three main areas called pillars. The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992 The Merger Treaty (or Brussels Treaty) was an European treaty which combined the executive bodies of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PJC formally Justice and Home Affairs (JHA is the third of the three pillars of the European Union Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters (PJC formally Justice and Home Affairs (JHA is the third of the three pillars of the European Union The European Political Cooperation (EPC was introduced in 1970 and was the synonym for European Union foreign policy coordination until it was superseded by the Common This article deals with the workings of European Union foreign policy The Western European Union ( WEU) is a partially dormant European defence and security organization established on the basis of the Treaty of Brussels of 1948 Multi-speed Europe or two-speed Europe (called also variable geometry Europe or Core Europe depending on the form it would take in practice is a concept Multi-speed Europe or two-speed Europe (called also variable geometry Europe or Core Europe depending on the form it would take in practice is a concept European integration is the process of political legal economic (and in some cases social and cultural integration of European states including some states that are partly in Europe Specific current examples include the Euro, the single currency not used by all members, and the Schengen Agreement for common external border controls without inter-state frontiers, but which includes some states that are not in the EU but which does not include all states that are in the EU. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e The term Schengen Agreement is used for two agreements concluded among European states in 1985 and 1990 which deal with the abolition of systematic Border controls

Superpower prospect

Main article: Potential superpowers#European_Union

The European Union has been called an emerging superpower by academics. Academics have speculated on Nations that are potential superpowers in the 21st century mentioning several candidates The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in ^[3][4][5][6] T. R. Reid,^[7] Andrew Reding^[8] and Mark Leonard,^[9][10] believe that the power of the European Union will rival that of the United States in the 21st century. Mark Leonard ( 1975) is a British foreign policy thinker and the author of Why Europe Will Run the 21st Century and What Does China Think? Leonard cites several factors: the EU's large population, large economy, low inflation rates, the unpopularity and perceived failure of US foreign policy in recent years, and certain EU members states' high quality of life (when measured in terms such as hours worked per week). ^[11] On the other hand Laurent Cohen-Tanugi^[12] states that the EU as a whole has consistently suffered from a growth deficit vis-a-vis the US, high unemployment, and public deficits even while most member states of the EU lagged substantially behind the US in R&D investment, technological innovation, and, since 1995, productivity gains.

Since the term "superpower" often is related to military might, European military integration is also seen as a factor for the European Union's superpower prospect. Two states (Denmark and Ireland) have positively opted out of any military integration proposals. The Maastricht Treaty (formally the Treaty on European Union, TEU) was signed on 7 February 1992 in Maastricht, the Netherlands after final

'United States of Europe'

The term "United States of Europe" is used by some futurists as a possible scenario in which the European Union would become a federation, mirroring the history of Constitution of the United States of America. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States.

In fiction

• Carole Carlson, identified in print as C. C. Carlson, is a professional writer and ghostwriter "coauthoring" many books in print. In 1970, when scandals began to rock the Worldwide Church of God, she teamed up with Hal Lindsey to write a religious best seller called The Late, Great Planet Earth. The Worldwide Church of God (WCG formerly the Radio Church of God, is a Christian church currently based in Glendora California, United States. Harold Lee "Hal" Lindsey (born November 23 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer The Late Great Planet Earth is the title of a best-selling 1970 book co-authored by Hal Lindsey and Carole C This book, which sold millions of copies in the 1970s, was made into a movie starring Orson Welles. George Orson Welles (May 6 1915 – October 10 1985 was an Academy Award -winning director, writer actor and producer for film stage radio and television It followed much of the same prophetic storyline concerning the rise of a powerful state in Europe, as previously told by Herbert Armstrong. Herbert W Armstrong ( 31 July 1892 - 16 January 1986) was the founder of the Worldwide Church of God and an early pioneer of

• Incompetence, a dystopian novel by Red Dwarf creator Rob Grant, is a murder mystery political thriller set in a federated Europe of the near-future, where stupidity is a constitutionally protected right. Incompetence is a Dystopian Comedy Novel by Red Dwarf co-creator Rob Grant. A dystopia (from the Greek δυσ- and τόπος alternatively cacotopia, kakotopia, cackotopia, or anti-utopia) is the vision of a society According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool Star, of the Main sequence, either late K Robert Grant is a British Comedy writer and Television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool Crime fiction is the Genre of Fiction that deals with Crimes their detection criminals and their motives It is usually distinguished from A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of political power struggle

• In the fictional universe of Eric Flint's best selling alternate history 1632 series, a United States of Europe is formed out of the Confederation of Principalities of Europe, which was composed of several German political units of the 1630s. A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with unique background elements such as an imaginary history or geography and possibly fantasy or science Eric Flint (born 1947 is an American Alternate history and Fantasy author, editor, and e-publisher. Alternate history or alternative history is a subgenre of Speculative fiction (or Science fiction) and Historical fiction The United States of Europe ( USE) is a fictional federation and Empire in the 1632 series created Eric Flint.

• Andrew Roberts's book The Aachen Memorandum details a United States of Europe formed from a fraudulent referendum entitled the Aachen Referendum. Andrew Roberts is the name of Andrew Roberts (historian (born 1963 historian Andrew Roberts (cricketer (born 1947

• In the expansion pack Euro Force of the computer game Battlefield 2, the European faction is portrayed as a single army. Battlefield 2 (abbreviated to BF2) is a computer game by the Swedish developer Digital Illusions in which players Battlefield 2 (abbreviated to BF2) is a computer game by the Swedish developer Digital Illusions in which players In the computer game Battlefield 2142, Europe is portrayed as one of the three great superpowers on Earth. Battlefield 2142 is a First-person shooter computer game developed by Digital Illusions CE and is the fourth game in the ''Battlefield'' Although most of Europe is frozen it still appears to be very powerful and controls the Union of African States. It loses control of most of Europe in the initial PAC invasion. In the Expansion Northern Strike the EU recaptures all of Europe.

• In the computer game Shattered Union, set in a future civil war in America, the European Union is portrayed as a peacekeeping force. Shattered Union is a Turn-based tactics computer game developed by PopTop Software and published by 2K Games in 2005.

• The 'United States of Europe' figures as the goal of secret cabals in various conspiracy theories, see Priory of Sion - the cabals apparently preferring to borrow their constitutional structures from the USA. A cabal is a number of people united in some close design usually to promote their private views and interests in a church, State, or other community often A conspiracy theory attributes the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (usually Political, Social or Historical events or the concealment The Prieuré de Sion, translated from French as Priory of Sion, is the name of multiple groups both real and fictitious

• References to a United States of Europe, or a similar European Alliance, have also existed in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the fictional Star Trek universe several political organisations take power over part or all of Earth. Star Trek The Next Generation ( STTNG or TNG) is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning science fiction television program created by Gene Roddenberry ^[13] Star Trek also mentions a loose confederation of European nations called the European Hegemony. In the fictional Star Trek universe several political organisations take power over part or all of Earth.

• In the "Spy High" series of books for young adults, written by A.J. Butcher and set around the 2060s, a united Europe exists in the form of 'Europa'. Spy High is an English book series by A J Butcher about a High school for Secret agents about high school/college students become Andrew James Butcher is the English author of the futuristic teen spy series Spy High.

• In Grand Theft Auto IV when on its' fictional internet there are travel sites for the United States of Europe.

See also

• Federation
• Consociationalism‎
• Nation state
• Sovereignty
• Pan-European identity
• History of Europe
• History of the European Union
  • Potential superpower status
  • European integration
    • Multi-speed Europe
• World government
• European Civil War

References

External links

• Political speeches by Victor Hugo: Victor Hugo, My Revenge is Fraternity!, where he used the term United States of Europe.
• Towards a United States of Europe, by Jürgen Habermas, at signandsight. com
• History and institutions of the united Europe since 1945 : European NAvigator
• European Integration: Westphalian Cooperation or Federalization?