New European Movement Switzerland

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Logo Nebs

The New European Movement Switzerland (Nebs) (French: Nouveau mouvement européen Suisse , Nomes; Italian: Nuovo movimento europeo Svizzera , Numes) is an independent and non-partisan political organization that campaigns for Switzerland to join the European Union .

According to its own information, the association has a network of contacts in the federal parliament as well as in business, science and culture circles. It can count on the support of around 5,000 members and sympathizers who are organized in sections and regional groups. It is also reinforced by an active and growing youth organization, the Young European Swiss (yes).

aims

The association works to ensure that Swiss citizens, as EU citizens, can actively participate in the establishment and development of a European federation. The aim is for Switzerland to join the European Union as soon as possible and under the most favorable economic, social and institutional conditions. Nebs is involved on two levels: on the one hand, it informs the population about the European Union and the consequences of Switzerland's accession. On the other hand, it follows the political discussion within the country, comments on steps towards integration and supports and coordinates pro-European parliamentarians. At the international level, Nebs advocates greater participation of citizens in decision-making processes in the European Union.

organization

The General Assembly (GV) is the highest body. All members are entitled to vote. The AGM determines the framework for the activities of the organization and elects the board, the auditors and the presidium. Which takes place once a year meeting is over changes to the statutes, approved the financial statements, elects the board and gave him the Décharge . The board is responsible for developing the strategies. It is elected for a two-year term and consists of twelve people. Co-Presidents are Martin Naef (National Councilor , SP / ZH) and François Cherix ; they succeeded Christa Markwalder (National Councilor , FDP / BE), who headed the Presidium from 2006 to 2014. National Councilor Sibel Arslan (Greens / BS), Sebastian von Graffenried and Jacques Ducry are on the Vice Presidium .

The secretariat is the staff unit that is responsible for implementing the strategies and for day-to-day business. It is the contact point for all inquiries and supports the sections, regional groups and the Yes organizationally and logistically. The general secretaries are Lukas Wegmüller and Raphaël Bez . The sections and regional groups of the Nebs also ensure the presence of the organization in the regions of Switzerland.

At the European level, the association is a member organization of the European Movement International (EBI) and a section and founding member of the Union of European Federalists (UEF).

activities

The most important activities are information and persuasion work in the federal parliament and projects and campaigns to mobilize those who support EU membership. In addition, Nebs is actively involved in voting campaigns on European issues ( Schengen , free movement of persons , cohesion, counter-proposal to RASA) with publications, actions and campaigns and regularly takes a position on current European policy issues. For example, on Europe Day May 9, 2009, Nebs passed a resolution at its General Assembly calling on the Federal Council to reorient Swiss European policy. The Europa.ch magazine appears twice a year and provides information on current issues in the European Union and Swiss European policy. Nebs is a founding member of the Europe platform Switzerland, which is supposed to help coordinate the pro-European organizations in Switzerland.

European price

The association awards the "Europe Prize" every year. The award goes to personalities in Switzerland who have contributed in their work to spreading the ideals and values ​​of European integration.

label europe

National and Council of States candidates can identify themselves for the elections with the 'Europe label'. This Nebs election aid distinguishes candidates who declare that they are ready to commit themselves to EU membership for Switzerland as part of their political work. This includes participation in the non-partisan parliamentary group Switzerland-EU, where urgently necessary internal reforms are initiated through parliamentary initiatives so that Switzerland can become a strong and well-prepared member of the EU.

The Swiss-EU Parliamentary Group

The association oversees the secretariat of the Swiss-EU Parliamentary Group (PGEU), which brings together parliamentarians who campaign for Switzerland's membership in the EU. The group is currently chaired by Martin Naef (SP / ZH), Doris Fiala (FDP / ZH) and Lisa Mazzone (Die Grünen / GE). The Nebs informs the members of the PGEU regularly about important European-political business or business with European-political aspects, which are dealt with at the sessions.

history

prehistory

On June 24, 1934, the European Union, the Swiss movement for the unification of Europe , was founded in the “Capitol” cinema in Basel with the vision of creating the “ United States of Europe ”. The idea was a democratic federal state that would act as a dam against the Nazi threat.
On February 21, 1995, the pro-European organizations “Born on December 7th”, “Renaissance Suisse-Europe”, “Born 1848” and the “European Movement Switzerland EBS” jointly launched the popular initiative “Yes to Europe” , the immediate accession negotiations with the EU demanded. The initiative was submitted on July 30, 1996 with 106,442 valid signatures and was put to the vote on March 4, 2001. The initiative was rejected by 77% no, 23% yes and all cantons (participation: 55.1%). The decisive factor for the clear no was the timing of the vote. The bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU ("Bilaterale I") had only been approved by the Swiss people just under a year earlier (May 21, 2000). Many citizens and politicians wanted to wait and see in order to be able to assess the success or failure of the “bilateral path” before taking further steps towards integration.

16 years of Nebs and more

The vision of a European federation with Switzerland as a member is carried on today by Nebs. Nebs was founded in January 1998 from the merger of various pro-European groups (“Born on December 7th”, “Renaissance Suisse-Europe”, “Born 1848” and the “European Movement Switzerland EBS”). Marc F. Suter (FDP / BE) becomes the first president . Jean-Pascal Delamuraz (FDP / VD) and Christiane Brunner (SP / GE) are appointed honorary presidents. Shortly afterwards, the youth organization, Young European Swiss (yes), was founded.

In its first 10 years of existence, Nebs was able to win top personalities from politics, business, science, culture and civil society to publicly commit themselves to joining. An example of this are the campaigns “Yes to Europe” (2000) as well as the Europe Manifesto launched by Nebs (2004) and the international conference of European federalists at its founding site in Hertenstein (2006). Furthermore, since it was founded, Nebs has positioned itself in the four most important European political referendums with progressive campaigns, giving all pro-Europeans in Switzerland a voice. Also in other opening templates, such as Switzerland's accession to the UN (2002), accession to the Schengen and Dublin agreements within the framework of the "Bilaterals" II as well as the expansion of the free movement of persons (2005), the campaign against the mass immigration initiative (2014) and against the self-determination initiative (2016/17), the Nebs were actively involved and at the forefront. In addition, she carried out projects to mobilize those in favor of joining the EU, such as the campaign for “aktiv-emember.eu”, “Euromarkt” or “Challenge Europe”.

literature

Nebs in the media

The Nebs and their representatives are regularly in the media, a selection below:

About Nebs

  • Erik Flury-Dasen: The Union européenne des fédéralistes and the European Union . In: G. Kreis (Ed.): Switzerland in the international system of the post-war period 1943–1950 . 1996, p. 32-54 .

further reading

  • Hans Peter Fagagnini: Our special case . Rüegger Verlag, 2010.
  • Justyna Brónska: Switzerland in Europe: Right in the middle, but outside? Tectum Verlag, 2009.
  • René Schwok: Switzerland-European Union, membership impossible? Series “Kompaktwissen CH”, Vol. 8. Rüegger Verlag, 2009.
  • Thomas Cottier / Rachel Liechti-McKee (eds.): Switzerland and Europe . Forum for University and Society, 2010.
  • Dieter Freiburghaus: royal road or dead end? Sixty years of Swiss European politics . Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 2009.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Board of Directors - European Movement Switzerland . In: European Movement Switzerland . ( europa.ch [accessed on October 18, 2018]).
  2. ↑ http://www.europa.ch/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/150302_Europ_Roadmap_DEF.pdf
  3. ↑ The resolution in full text ( memento of the original from May 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 54 kB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.europa.ch
  4. ↑ http://www.europaplattform.ch/
  5. ↑ List of previous winners
  6. ↑ at Steinenvorstadt 36; the building was rebuilt 1979–1982 (source: http://www.traumkinobasel.ch/grossbasel.php )
  7. ↑ http://www.europa.ch/mitteilungen/die-behaben-zur-eu-und-die-wohlfahrt-aufs-spiel-ETZ/
  8. ↑ http://www.europa.ch/mitteilungen/30-08-2016-angesichts-des-erstarkenden-nationalismus-in-europa-will-die-nebs-ihr-engagement-verstaerken/