17/10/2026
🇪🇺 **WE NEED A EUROPEAN COMMON DEFENCE.**
At the Arraiolos Summit in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, on 16 October 2026, Italian President Sergio Mattarella delivered a powerful message: Europe must act together to guarantee its security and preserve peace.
As reported by ANSA, President Mattarella called for the rapid interoperability of European military capabilities to restore the strategic balance in response to Russia's posture, stressing that such a balance has historically been essential to preventing aggression and safeguarding peace.
His message goes beyond defence. **Europe urgently needs faster, more effective decision-making and far-reaching institutional reforms**, especially as it prepares for enlargement to the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova.
An EU of more than 30 Member States cannot function effectively under today's decision-making rules.
For the Union of European Federalists (UEF), this means moving beyond national vetoes, extending qualified majority voting, strengthening European democracy, reforming the EU Treaties, and establishing a genuine European fiscal capacity to finance our common priorities.
**A common defence requires common institutions, common resources and democratic accountability. Enlargement and deeper political integration must go hand in hand.**
🇪🇺 **On behalf of the Union of European Federalists, we thank President Sergio Mattarella for his clear commitment to European unity, common defence and the institutional reforms our Union urgently needs.**
The time to build a stronger, sovereign, democratic and federal Europe is now.
**Europe must be able to decide, act and defend itself. Together.**
🔗 Source: ANSA, 16 October 2026 — *Mattarella: “Ora decisioni veloci, Difesa comune contro la postura della Russia