Attal Proposes 'United States of Europe' with Shared Economy and Joint Debt
Former French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has revived an old idea from the European federalist project to build a 'United States of Europe' that would allow a group of countries to advance further than the current EU. The proposed federation would consist of merging the economies of core states that agree to share fiscal and labor rules, financing, industrial policy, and large investments.
The transformation would start by eliminating economic borders within the single market, moving towards tax convergence, common labor law, deepening banking and financial integration, and promoting European groups capable of competing in sectors like banking or telecommunications.
Attal's proposal also involves addressing sensitive issues like common debt, with the new federation issuing joint debt to finance investments that are currently impossible for individual countries. The candidate specifically mentions artificial intelligence, decarbonized energy, the space race, and medical research as areas where a more integrated economy would be beneficial.