Someone was a federalist because their grandfather, uncle, and father were. The mother as well.

Someone was a federalist because they saw Spinelli as a promise, Albertini as poetry, federalism as heaven on Earth.

Someone was a federalist because they felt lonely.

Someone was a federalist because they received too nationalist an education. Ouch.

Someone was a federalist because Schuman required it, De Gasperi required it, Monnet required it, and Adenauer as well, everyone required it. Someone was a federalist because they got told to be so.

Someone was a federalist because they didn’t tell him everything.

Someone was a federalist because they used to be a Christian democrat.

Someone was a federalist because they understood that the European union went slow, but steady.

Someone was a federalist because Albertini was a good man.

Someone was federalist because Salvini was not a good man.

Someone was a federalist because they were rich, but loved the people.

Someone was a federalist because they drunk wine and got emotional after the Federal Committees.

Someone was a federalist because they were so atheist they needed another God.

Someone was a federalist because they were so fascinated by populists that they wanted to be one of them.

Someone was a federalist because they’d had enough about demagogy. Someone was federalist because they hoped for a salary.

Someone was a federalist because the Federation… not today. Tomorrow, maybe. But the day after, most certainly.

Someone was a federalist because of the crisis of the nation-state, the ideology, random stuff like the inclined plane.

Someone was a federalist because they wanted to piss off their father.

Someone was a federalist because they only read European Federalists press release.

Someone was a federalist for fashion, someone on principle, someone out of frustration.

Someone was a federalist because they wanted to federate everything. Shit.

Someone was a federalist because they had no experience of all the debates in the Central Committee, the National Board meetings, the Secretariat and other similar organs.

Someone was a federalist because they’d mistaken federalism for the Albertini’s gospel.

Someone was a federalist because they were convinced they had the European people behind him/her. Oh shit!

Someone was a federalist because they were more federalist than the others.

Someone was a federalist because of the great European Federalist Movement.

Someone was a federalist in spite of the great European Federalist Movement.

Someone was a federalist because there was nothing better.

Someone was a federalist because we suffered the worst populist movements in Europe.

Someone was a federalist because worse than us fares only Uganda.

Someone was a federalist because they’d had enough of seventy years of incompetent and corrupted national governments.

Someone was a federalist because of Donald Trump, thirty thousands of deaths in the Mediterranean, the neo-Fascists, the end of the welfare State etc etc.

Someone was a federalist because who was *against* had to be a federalist.

Someone was a federalist because they couldn’t stand that dirty thing we insist calling intergovernmentalism.

Someone believed they were federalists, and maybe they were something else.

Someone was a federalist because they dreamed of a freedom different from the American one.

Someone was a federalist because they believed they could feel alive and happy, only with other Europeans.

Someone was a federalist because they needed a push towards something new. Because they felt the necessity of a different morality. Because maybe it was just a force, a flight, a dream, it was just an impulse, a desire to change things, to change life.

Yes, someone was a federalist because with this impulse, everyone was something more than themselves. Being like two persons in one. On one side the personal daily trouble and on the other, the sense of belonging to a people, who wanted to take flight, to really change life. No, no regrets. Many still spread their wings, although not yet capable of flight. Like hypothetical seagulls.

And now? Now, it feels like we are two persons. On one side the responsible adult who goes through the grind of daily survival and on the other, the seagull, from whom the pure dream of flight has been stolen. Two miseries in one body.

External contribution by Giulio Saputo, former Secretary of “Gioventù Federalista Europea – Italy“

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