YWF speaks at the 2025 JEF Congress in Strasbourg

In November 2025, Luca Alfieri had the honour of representing Young World Federalists (YWF) at the Congress of the Young European Federalists (JEF) held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Luca is a longtime member, volunteer, and advisor to YWF and has been actively engaged with JEF Chapters across Europe for several years as well. This biennial gathering in Strasbourg brought together federalist youth from across Europe to debate policy resolutions, welcome new member sections from Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, and elect a new JEF Executive Board to lead the organisation for the next two years. As a representative of YWF, Luca was invited to address the Congress and reflect on the longstanding collaboration between our two organisations, which share a commitment to federalist principles — whether at the European or global level. Below is the full transcript of Luca's speech.

Luca Alfieri's Speech to the 2025 JEF Europe Congress

Dear Christelle,

Dear EB,

Dear delegates and observers,

Thank you very much for your invitation to the JEF Congress. I bring the greetings of the Executive Director, the board, and all the members of YWF.

The collaboration between YWF and JEF has existed since almost the foundation of YWF, and we hope it will become even stronger with the new EB.

Let me also welcome Mario Draghi into the federalist family, given that he is now, by default, also part of the World Federalist Movement. Welcome, Mario!

In its short history and with limited funding, YWF has already achieved important results. Numerous events, both online and in person, have been organised across different corners of the globe by our various national sections. I want to cite just a few of them: the various world parliament and senate simulations in East Africa and India; the initiative among religious communities in Malaysia; and the lobbying activities toward the Labour Party in New Zealand.

Regarding the current international political situation, it is quite critical. The veto power is not only a problem in Europe. To cite Hans Kelsen, one of the fathers of modern international law: “The veto right of the five permanent members of the Security Council places them above the law of the United Nations, establishes their legal hegemony over all the other Members, and thus stamps the Organisation with the mark of an autocratic regime.”

I will not list the tragedies and dangers we are currently experiencing, and depending on that. However, I can share with you some stories that can give you the hope you need to continue the fight. Two are very recent, and one is, well, a bit old.

The first happened thanks to you and to our friends of the Democracy and Federalism Hub: the Israeli–Palestinian seminar in Ventotene. YWF wants to thank the organisers and let you know that you have its full and unconditional support for the future developments of the seminar.

The second happened during the last YWF monthly online meeting, when an association from South Kivu contacted us because they share our values and want to collaborate. When people from conflict zones reach out to you, you understand how essential our work is for the future of humankind.

The last one happened during the Philadelphia Convention, when Washington wrote to Thomas Paine that the situation was desperate. Three days later, the federal U.S. Constitution was created. When we are down — and it can happen many times; I can tell you this after 16 years of militancy — it is always good to remember how people in the past, in even more difficult situations, were still able to achieve important results.

This is also why the study of our past is important. In this sense, I have an announcement to make. On YWF’s website and social media, you can find — for the first time ever and freely available — the two essays written by Spinelli and attached to the 1944 edition of the Ventotene Manifesto. The YWF Book Club decided to translate them after reading them in the last months. Let me give you a taste of them.

Speaking about racism and Nazism in the first essay, Spinelli wrote:

“The racist myth, however inconsistent it may be in light of scientific knowledge, becomes the ideal criterion by which value hierarchies are established, and humanity is divided into castes. All political, social, economic, and cultural energies that society had developed are transformed into instruments of domination by the masters. The country is organised into a sort of Spartan-style racist collectivism […]”

Evidently, the fascination with Sparta is not something invented by certain politicians in our time…

In the second essay, he wrote:

“Free-trade entrepreneurs are an operable force in federalist action; but, if prospects are opened up for special favors to their industries, or if they hope to impose lower wages on workers, they easily link up with reactionary political forces.”

And this was for Elon, Mark, and the others…

I want to conclude by saying that I am proud to be part of the only real revolutionary movement currently on the face of the Earth! As Spinelli wrote, at the beginning of one of the two essays: “We belong to the generation that strives from darkness toward light.”

Have a happy Congress, and long live the federalist movement!