On the same day as the EU reform proposals of eleven foreign ministers and one week after the positive verdict of the German Constitutional Court in on the legitimacy of the European Stability Mechanism, ALDE group leader Guy VERHOFSTADT made new proposals on how to shape the future of Europe. On the occasion of an event on the court decision's implications organised by the 'Akademie Loccum' yesterday night in Hannover Verhofstadt called in particular for a new understanding of sovereignty:

"Today, sadly, sovereignty is too often mixed up with concepts such as 'nation', 'nation-states' and 'nationalism'.  The so-called nation’s ability to fulfil its obligation, to exercise power. (..) The all important Lisbon judgement of the Court states that the “irrevocable transfer of sovereignty to a new subject of legitimation that goes with it (...) is reserved to the directly declared will of the German people alone”. 

But what about the irrevocable loss of power? Do you not think that in today's world we are in danger of losing power, losing power to globalisation, to the markets, in short, to the modern world. On this huge loss of power, nobody has been consulted. Nobody has agreed. Indeed, the people haven't been asked. People too often are not even aware of it.

So, not a transfer of power, but a loss of power is the risk today. Not "Brussels", but a new world order dominated by the BRIC countries is the challenge today. If the Lisbon judgement of the Court is to be taken literally, the German people must be protected not from transferring power but from losing power – and the German democratic institutions, the Parliament and the government have a responsibility in this.

And this is precisely the "raison d'être", the reason of the European project. Integrating Europe is a vast project in regaining sovereignty.  It is a project to give citizens – be they German, Polish or even Greek, back control over the world we are living in.

Verhofstadt also pointed out to the remarkable Article 23 of the German basic law which states that Germany shall participate in the EU development towards a Union based on federal principles.

Please, find attached the full copy of the Hannover speech.