PARTE 8 | 19 MARCH – 01 APRIL 2022
El artículo VII desarrolla la relación entre los ciudadanos, los Estados y la Federación. Es la pieza final del significado del concepto de separación vertical de poderes. La Constitución aborda esa separación vertical en cinco pasos. Dado que esa separación vertical abarca la esencia de la formación del Estado federal, volveré a enumerar aquí esos pasos.
La primera etapa está en el Artículo I, Sección 2, que dice que lo que no se le da expresamente a la Federación pertenece al complejo de poderes de los Estados y de los Ciudadanos.
La segunda etapa es el Artículo III, Sección 2. En él se especifican limitadamente los poderes federales.
La tercera etapa es la sección 3 del artículo III, que especifica los límites dentro de los cuales deben ejercerse los poderes de la Federación para la protección de los ciudadanos.
La cuarta etapa es la sección 4 del artículo III, que establece los límites de lo que pueden hacer la Federación y los Estados.
Y, por último, está la etapa 5 de este artículo VII que deja aún más claro cómo deben entenderse algunos aspectos en la relación Federación-Estados-Ciudadanos.
La cláusula 1 de la sección 1 deja claro que los ciudadanos de un Estado miembro son también ciudadanos de la Federación. Reciben un pasaporte único, expedido por su propio Estado miembro pero que indica la ciudadanía de la federación. Esto otorga a los ciudadanos ciertos derechos, como la asistencia diplomática fuera de la Europa federal y el derecho a votar en las elecciones a la Cámara de los Ciudadanos y al Presidente.
La cláusula 1 establece además que los Estados no pueden discriminar a los ciudadanos de otros Estados en favor de sus propios ciudadanos. Todos los ciudadanos reciben "trato nacional".
La cláusula 2 introduce otra forma de democracia directa al estipular que un mínimo de 300.000 ciudadanos pueden presentar un proyecto de ley de iniciativa. El procedimiento para su examen por las Cámaras y el Presidente es estricto para garantizar ese derecho democrático de los ciudadanos.
La cláusula 3 regula la extradición de delincuentes entre los Estados miembros. La cláusula 4 prohíbe la esclavitud y el trabajo forzado.
La sección 2, cláusula 1, exige a los Estados miembros que reconozcan el derecho de los demás Estados miembros. La cláusula 2 establece que los Estados miembros son los únicos competentes para regular las cuestiones de nacionalidad y ciudadanía. Con la condición de que traten a los ciudadanos de otros Estados como si fueran sus propios ciudadanos.
Las cláusulas 3, 4 y 5 son de distinto orden. La cláusula 3 establece que, una vez establecida la federación, pueden adherirse nuevos estados. A través de un procedimiento estricto.
La cláusula 4 impone una carga especial a esos nuevos estados, a saber, que retengan sus deudas. Véase esto a la luz de lo que describo más adelante en el artículo X, cláusula 1. Allí se establece que los Estados miembros que se adhieran a la federación deberán, en el momento de su constitución, cancelar sus deudas. La federación se hace cargo de ellas. Por lo tanto, como Estado miembro de la federación, comienzan con una pizarra financiera limpia. Pero si se adhieren sólo después de la formación de la federación, conservan sus deudas.
La cláusula 5 establece que los cambios en el número de estados miembros -ya sea por división o fusión- requieren un procedimiento especial. La razón es que tales cambios pueden debilitar el equilibrio de poder entre los estados y el organismo federal, por ejemplo en la composición del Senado. Esto se aparta de la Constitución de EE.UU., que prohíbe la división o fusión de estados. Esto no es viable para Europa. Los diversos tratados de paz tras quinientos años de guerras a causa de la anarquía de los Estados-nación han dado lugar a fronteras dentro de las cuales algunos pueblos se sienten confinados y luchan por su propia soberanía. Es obvio que cuando se establezcan los Estados Unidos de Europa, las regiones que llevan años luchando por su independencia deben tener, o aprovechar, la oportunidad de independizarse y solicitar su ingreso en la federación europea. Por tanto, la constitución debe prever un procedimiento para ello.
La sección 3 establece que la federación garantiza la democracia representativa en los Estados miembros y que la federación no tiene autoridad para interferir en el orden interno de los Estados miembros. Un Estado federal no es un Estado supranacional con poderes descendentes para intervenir en las estructuras internas de los Estados miembros.
Artículo VII - Los ciudadanos, los Estados y la Federación
Sección 1- Los ciudadanos
1. The Citizens of each Member State of the European Federal Union also hold Citizenship of the Union and are therefore full Citizens of the Union. They receive a single passport, issued by one's own Member State, stating Citizenship of the Federation.
2. According to Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 all Citizens of the European Federal Union over the age of eighteen, unless they lack capacity due to mental illness or mental incapacity, may participate in elections to the House of the Citizens. They may launch or support popular initiatives on federal affairs. They may be elected delegates of the House of the Citizens, provided they meet the requirements of Article III on competence and suitability.
(a) The way in which scientific institutes, political parties, associations, societal movements, and other organisations may contribute to the forming of public opinion is regulated by a law of the European Congress for the verification and control of possible conflicts of interest that may exist between them and the media.
(b) Access to transparent and objective information will be ensured through the creation of Citizen Agora spaces by a law of the European Congress. This Citizen Agora should serve as a space for debate and the creation of a well-balanced public opinion, working as a link between different sources of information and citizens.
(c) Transparency shall be ensured by a law of the European Congress with respect to the ownership structures of the media, as well as their relationship with parties, companies or positions that may influence or shape public opinion. These media will be encouraged to participate in the Citizen Agora by meeting certain requirements.
3. At least 1% of Citizens with the right to vote may, within 6 months of the official publication of their initiative, request a partial revision of the Federal Constitution. Such a Citizens’ Initiative of the Federal Constitution has the form of an amendment to the Constitution.
4. Any Citizens' Initiative to amend the Constitution shall meet the requirements of consistency of form and content and shall not infringe mandatory provisions of international law. If these requirements are not met, the Federal Court of Justice of the European Federal Union will declare it invalid in whole or in part.
5. In case of a Citizens' Initiative in the form of an amendment to the Constitution, the House of the Citizens shall, within three months, organize a multi-day meeting with panels of Citizens with the aim of discussing, analyzing, and weighing the proposed amendment and assisting Citizens in the elaboration of that amendment. The House of the Citizens can adopt this proposal for amending the Constitution and to put it into procedure in accordance with Article VIII of the Constitution, or to organize a referendum. An amendment submitted to a referendum is adopted if a simple majority of the Citizens entitled to vote have voted in favour of the amendment. Thereafter, the procedure of Article VIII follows.
6. The following shall be put to a referendum:
(a) a decision on ratification of an international treaty and on accession of the Federation to collective security organizations, supranational communities or international organisations;
(b) las leyes federales de emergencia que no se basen en una disposición de la Constitución y cuyo plazo de vigencia sea superior a un año; estas leyes federales deben someterse a votación en el plazo de un año desde su aprobación por el Congreso Europeo.
7. The following may be put to a referendum:
(a) leyes federales;
(b) federal executive measures required by the Constitution or a law.
8. Referendums submitted to a vote of the Citizens as mentioned in Clauses 6 and 7 shall be accepted if approved by a simple majority of those entitled to vote.
9. All referendums must, within three months, be preceded by Citizens' Panels organised by the House of the Citizens with the aim of preparing European Citizens for the vote by providing information on the proposals. On the basis of the outcome of the Citizens' Panels, the European Congress may submit a counterproposal. An act of the European Congress shall lay down the methods for voting on the proposal of the Citizens and on the proposal of the European Congress.
Sección 2 - Los Estados
1. Full faith and credit will be given in each Member State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of all other States. The European Congress may prescribe by general law the manner in which such acts, records and proceedings will be proved, and the effects thereof.
2. The Member States of the European Federal Union have the exclusive power to regulate matters of Citizenship. A State’s Citizenship is valid in any other State of the Federation. The Citizenship of a Member State implies the Citizenship of the European Federal Union.
3. States may join the European Federal Union with the consent of a two-third majority of the Citizens of the acceding State, a two third majority of the legislative branch of the acceding States, a two-third majority of the Citizens of the Federation and a two-third majority of each House of the European Congress, in this order. The European Federal Union takes note of this consent and acts accordingly. The European Congress shall lay down by law the requirements to be met by States acceding to the European Federal Union
4. Member States may leave the Federation by the same route as indicated in Clause 3. By law of the European Congress, the financial obligations of such Member States are determined.
5. All debts entered, and engagements contracted by States, acceding to the Federation at the moment of the ratification of this Constitution, according to Article I, Section 1, Clause 6, will remain valid within the European Federal Union. States acceding to the European Federal Union after the Constitution having come into force retain their debts and are bound to the laws of the Federation as of the moment of their accession.
6. Any change in the number of Member States of the European Federal Union will be subjected to the consent of a two-third majority of the Citizens of the concerned Member States, a two-third majority of the legislative branch of all Member States and a two-third majority of each House of the European Congress, in that order.
7. A person convicted in any Member State of the Federation for high treason, felony, or other crimes, fleeing from justice and found in a different Member State, will at the request of the executive authority of the State from which he fled, be surrendered to the State with jurisdiction relating to that crime.
8. Slavery or any form of compulsory servitude, except in case of punishment for a crime for which the said person has been lawfully convicted, will be ruled out in the European Federal Union or in any territory under federal jurisdiction.
Sección 3 - La Federación
1. The European Federal Union will guarantee a representative democracy for each Member State and will protect them against an invasion and, at the request of the legislative branch, or that of the executive branch in case the legislative branch cannot convene, against internal violence.
2. The European Federal Union will not interfere with the internal organization of the States of the Federation, but still demands that those states as democratic states will be governed by the rule of law.
3. The European Congress has the power to have at their disposal and make all necessary regulations with respect to the territory or other possessions belonging to the European Federal Union.
Explanation of Section 1 – The Citizens
Clauses 1 and 2 elaborate on the concept of the Citizenship. The Citizenship of a Member State goes hand in hand with Citizenship of the Federation. As soon as a person possesses the nationality of a Member State, he or she also has federal Citizenship. One receives a single passport, issued by one's own State, stating Citizenship of the Federation. This means that he or she has the federally granted political and other rights and that he or she can also call on its diplomatic or consular services outside the Federation in matters for which they are competent. The latter implies that those federal services must allow Citizens of the Federation, residing outside the Federation, to participate in elections for the House of the Citizens and the President/Vice-Presidents.
El Clauses 3 to 9 regulate another set of direct democracy, in addition to and reinforcing provisions on direct and deliberative democracy, regulated in other articles of the Constitution. They are expressly intended to solve the democratic deficit of the Treaty-based intergovernmental European Union. The Constitution introduces two issues here. First, the right of Citizens to launch a Citizens’ Initiative to amend a part of the Constitution. Second, the concept of compulsory and optional referendums. Because this partly concerns possible changes to the Constitution, Article VIII, dealing with changes to the Constitution, naturally also plays a role here.
Explanation of Section 2 – The States
Cláusula 1 requires States to recognise the practice of law in the other States of the Federation as of right. Thus, the States do not subject each other's law to evaluation, but let it apply to them. Among other things, this provision avoids administrative burdens for Citizens, administrations and judges concerning the use of official documents. In the European Federal Union, therefore, any requirement for legalization of documents drawn up by a Member State is waived; these documents therefore have legal force in other States of the Federation.
Cláusula 2 of Section 2 means that only the Member States of the Federation have competence in matters of Citizenship with all the political and social rights attached thereto, although the Federation becomes competent for immigration policy. Each Member State recognises the Citizenship of another State and, according to its legal order, treats the Citizens of that other State as its own Citizens. This also implies that all the Member States of the Federation provide help and assistance to each other's Citizens abroad through their diplomatic and consular services where necessary.
Cláusula 3 provides for the conditions to be fulfilled by States who want to accede to the Federation.
Cláusula 4 rules that leaving the Federation is possible, provided the leaving Member State follows the same procedure as indicated in Clause 3.
Cláusula 5 makes clear that the States, acceding to the Federation at the moment of the ratification of the Constitution, are freed from their debts. Under a federal tax system, complemented by a Fiscal Union, they start their lives as Member States of the Federation with a clean financial slate. Under a federal tax system, complemented by a Fiscal Union, they start their lives as Member States of the Federation with a clean financial slate. Under a federal tax system, complemented by a fiscal union, they start their lives as member states of the federation with a clean financial slate. This does not apply to States that register as members of the Federation after it has been established and has entered into force. Those States retain their debts and must apply the federal rules in force from the time of their accession.
Clause 6 rules that any change in the number of Member States of the Federation, by merging or splitting States, shall be submitted to the Citizens concerned, to the Parliaments of all the States and to the European Congress. The reason for these various authorizations is that they alter the balance of power between the Member States and within the Federation, institutionally for example, by affecting the composition of the House of the States. This provision is important for regions with activist groups that aspire to establish their own state, such as Catalonia in Spain, Corsica in France, Flanders in Belgium and Scotland in the United Kingdom.
Cláusula 7 provides for extradition of suspects between Member States as the flip side of the free movement of persons in the Federation. Clause 8 reaffirms the principle of prohibition of slavery and forced labour.
Explanation of Section 3 – The Federation
Cláusula 1 emphasizes the guarantee that the Federation secures a representative democracy for each Member State and that it will protect them against an invasion and against internal violence.
Cláusula 2 stresses - as an explicit aspect of the vertical separation of powers of this centripetal federation – that the Federal Authority does not interfere with the internal order of the Member States, but rather ensures the unconditional application of the rule of law throughout the Federation. A federal state is not a supranational state of which hierarchical decision-making is a feature.
Cláusula 3 says that the European Congress can make all regulations it deems necessary.
Artículo VII - Los ciudadanos, los Estados y la Federación
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