EFP Newsletter – November 2012. Results of the 2nd Federal Convention: new Board and Manifesto

European Federalist Party: New European Board elected and Party manifesto adopted at the EFP Convention in Rome on 3-4 November 2012!


Party Manifesto

On 3-4 November we held the 2nd Convention of the European Federalist Party. This year the convention took place at the Hotel dei Congressi in Rome and it was the occasion for many pro-Europeans and federalists individuals and organisations coming from all over Europe (and beyond) to get together and engage in the construction of a federal Europe through a truly pan-European political debate. On this occasion a new European board was elected. Please have a look at their bios below. In addition, the Manifesto of the European Federalist Party was adopted. The Manifesto is the backbone of the European Political Programme that we are developing ahead of the 2014 European Parliament Elections. Please access the full text of the Manifesto here.

The Convention was very successful also thanks to the high level speakers that took part in the event, among others:

  • Ulrike Guerot, European Council of Foreign Relations;
  • Pier Virgilio Dastoli, President of the Italian Council of the European Movement and member of the Spinelli Group in the European Parliament;
  • Piter de Jong, vice-President of EU-China Chamber of Commerce;
  • Bruno Tinti, former judge, writer and journalist;
  • Edouard Gaudot, political advisor for the Green Group at the European Parliament and member of the Spinelli Group in the European Parliament;
  • Paolo Acunzo, deputy-Secretary General of the European Federalist Movement (Italy).
  • Alessandro Politi, director of the NATO Defense College Foundation.

European Commission President Barroso, Vice-President Reding and several Members of the European Parliament also sent their best wishes for a successful Convention.

Newly Elected European Board


A new European board was elected at the EFP Convention in Rome on November 4th. Who are they? What will they do for you? Here are their short bios and responsibilities:

Pietro de Matteis – Co-President

Pietro will remain as Co-President of the EFP. An economist by training, he obtained a PhD from the University of Cambridge and a Masters-level degree from the European College of Parma. He lived and worked in several European countries as well as in the US and China. He currently works for the European Commission.

Yves Gernigon – Co-President

Yves will also remain as Co-President of the EFP. He has been involved in the French Federalist Party for 10 years, and served as its President since 2009. He has a Masters in Economics, Law and Politics from Sciences-Po and has been working in Paris as an adviser in corporate and financial communication for more than 20 years.

Helène Feo – Vice-President

Helène will remain as the single vice-president of the EFP. She is a founding member of the French Federalist Party. A specialist in European law, Helène holds a European Communities Diploma from the University of Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne and works at the largest advertising company in France.

Marco Marazzi – Co-Secretary General

Marco is a lawyer specializing in corporate and commercial law as well as cross-border mergers & acquisitions. He has spent his career in China, having served for three years as vice-chairman, Shanghai chapter, of the EU-China Chamber of Commerce. Marco’s help was crucial for founding the Italian chapter of the EFP and organizing the recent Convention. He is responsible for liasing and coordinating actions between the national chapters and the federal board of the EFP.

Ghita Yu – Co-Secretary General

Ghita Lanzendörfer-Yu, from Hamburg, Germany, holds a PhD in Chemistry and has a work history of 17 years in the cosmetics industry. She lived 5 years in Shanghai, China – a period which completely changed her view on Europe and compelled her to join the EFP in 2012.

Harry Stamelos – Party Programme and Electoral Platform

Harry holds a Ph.D. in EU and US law and works as a practicing lawyer in Athens. He is the founder of the Greek section of the EFP and is responsible for coordinating the drafting of our federal programme for the upcoming European Parliament elections in 2014.

Maria Coelho – Public Relations

Maria has been the national coordinator for Portugal and working with the EFP’s communication strategy for two years. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Columbia University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics at University of California, Berkeley.

Henri Lim – Treasurer

Henri is a student in Management & Accounting in the IAE de Créteil in Paris and has worked as an apprentice at a large French energy company. He will be contributing his accounting skills to the Party. Henri has become a member of the EFP and several young federalist organizations over the past year.

RENEW Your Membership & DONATE! Help us to help Europe!

Especially during tough economic times, your financial support is fundamental. We therefore invite you to consider showing your support for the federalist cause by becoming a Full Member of the European Federalist Party, by renewing your membership and by donating. Please remember that our organization continues to be fully run by volunteers. To bring forward this continental-scale project we need financial as well as human resources.

Payment can be made by bank transfer, by credit card or by Paypal. Please follow this link to make your payment.

If you wish to have a more active role in the EFP through national or local sections, please write an e-mail to Pietro De Matteis, EFP co-President (e-mail: pietro.dematteis@federalistparty.eu).