Full Text of the Federal Constitution

= The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Europe =

Preamble
We, the Citizens of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Ireland, and the Netherlands, establish this Constitution for all our countries, and furthermore for each country joining in the future, with the goal of forming a Federation that guarantees freedom, order, safety, happiness, justice, defence of the Federation against enemies, sustainability of the environment as well as acceptance and tolerance of the diversity of cultures, convictions, ways of life and languages of all who live and will live in the territory that belongs to the jurisdiction of the Federation.

Article 1
The Federal Republic of Europe recognises and guarantees to all its citizens and inhabitants, and to all individuals present in its territory, the Human Rights proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948, and the European Convention of Human Rights of 04 November 1950.

Article 2
Every citizen has the right to life. It is the duty of the government to protect all citizens against attacks on their life or physical safety. No individual shall be sentenced to death. The right to life shall not preclude the adoption of laws designed to protect and regulate a woman's right to make decisions about her own body and to terminate a pregnancy.

Article 3
All human beings are equal under the law. No law shall be made to deny rights to any individual on account of sex, gender, alleged race, ethnicity, religion, name, place of residency, revenue, pregnancy, physical appearance, health condition, invalidity, genetics, lifestyle, sexual orientation, age, political opinions, syndicate activities, or any other factor as may be recognised by law. This provision shall not prevent the establishment of preferential rights designed to prevent or redress discriminations and inequalities.

Article 4
Every citizen has the right to free speech, and the right to peacefully assemble. These rights can be limited by the Federal Government when it is necessary to protect the rights of a third party, or when they are abused in conditions determined by law. Every citizen has the right to form an opinion freely.

Article 5
A free press being essential to the exercise of the right to free speech, to the transparency and accountability of the government, of all public servants, and to the upholding of the law, freedom of the press shall not be otherwise limited but by laws made to protect other rights, or to prevent the abuse of this freedom.

Article 6
The Federal Republic of Europe is a secular state and no religious group shall be given a role in government, or preferential treatment from any institution of the Federal Republic. Every citizen has the right to freely adhere to and practice any religion, including the right to adhere to no religion, or to reject religion. There is no national religion, and public institutions under this Constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic must not compel or encourage adherence to any religion.

Article 7
Every citizen has the right to work, to freely choose their own profession, and to leisure. The Federal or state governments must not put any individual to forced labour.

Article 8
Only when it is necessary to defend the Federation against a foreign aggressor, may the Federal Government, or a Member State, conscript citizens no younger than 18 and no older than 50 into the armed forces.

Article 9
Every citizen has the right to freely move and settle within the Federation. There shall be no border controls within the borders of the Federation. These rules may be temporarily suspended during a state of national emergency, regulated in, and declared according to, law.

Article 10
Every Citizen has a right to an adequate standard of living and a decent quality of life. Society owes maintenance to unfortunate citizens, in providing the means of existence for those who are unable to work, in supporting those who are out of work, and in ensuring access to essential medical care.

Article 11
No one shall be searched, or have their property searched, without a warrant granted by a judge according to law. Any individual shall have the right to remain silent and decline to answer when questioned by an officer of the law.

Article 12
No one can be accused, arrested, or detained but in the cases determined by law, and according to the forms which it has prescribed. Every individual being presumed innocent until they have been pronounced guilty, if it is thought indispensable to arrest them, all severity that may not be necessary to secure their person ought to be strictly repressed by law.

Article 13
No one shall be tried and punished except after having been heard or legally summoned, except in virtue of a law promulgated prior to the offense. Any person accused in front of a court of law shall have the right to a professional legal representation.

Article 14
Every citizen has the right to ascertain the necessity of a public contribution. The charge of this contribution must be fairly shared by all the citizens, according to their ability to pay, and each citizen has the right to know the uses to which it is put.

Article 15
Each citizen who is of voting age according to the law of their Member State has an equal right to participate in the formation of the law and in the selection of their elected representatives.

Article 16
The state guarantees the right to property. The limit of property rights is set by law. Expropriation shall only be permissible for the public good. It may only be ordered by or pursuant to a law that determines the nature and extent of compensation. Such compensation shall be determined by establishing an equitable balance between the public interest and the interests of those affected. In case of dispute concerning the amount of said compensation, recourse may be brought in front of the relevant court of law.

Article 17
The home of each and every citizen is protected. It may not be entered without agreement of the resident, except when ordered by a judge in accordance with a process prescribed by law, or to avert immediate danger as defined by law.

Article 18
All legislative powers granted under this Constitution shall be vested in the Federal Parliament, which shall consist of the Council of the Federation and the Federal Assembly.

Article 19
1. The Federal Assembly shall be composed of representatives chosen every two months by the people of the Federation.

2. Representatives shall be elected according to a proportional system, the specifics of which shall be set out in Federal law.

3. The Federal Assembly shall have 500 members, apportioned according to the population of each Member State.

4. Any vacancy in the Federal Assembly shall be filled according to a process set out in Federal law.

5. The Federal Assembly shall choose its officers from among its members, first among whom shall be the Chair of the Assembly.

6. Member States must vest the power to organise, oversee and regulate elections in an apolitical Electoral Commission.

7. These Electoral Commissions should be responsible for constituency boundaries, the location and organisation of polling stations and the appointment of returning officers.

Article 20
1. The Council of the Federation shall be composed of two delegates from each Member State, elected for four-month terms.

2. The means by which delegates are elected shall be established under Federal law.

3. Half of each state delegation shall be changed every two months.

4. No person shall be a delegate who has not been resident of their Member State for five years.

5. The Council of the Federation shall choose its officers from among its members, chief among which shall be the Chair of the Council.

6. The politicisation of delegates shall be regulated under Federal law, in the same law as that by which the means of their election is prescribed.

7. The Federal Parliament shall have the power to regulate the election by state legislatures of delegates.

Article 21
1. The times, places, and manner of holding Federal elections shall be prescribed in each Member State by the independent Electoral Commission thereof; but Parliament may at any time make or alter such regulations, except as to the place of choosing.

2. The Assembly and Council shall meet regularly, at a minimum of once a week.

Article 22
1. Over a half of all representatives shall constitute a quorum for the Assembly to do business.

2. Two-thirds of all delegates shall constitute a quorum for the Council to do business.

3. Each chamber may determine the rules of its proceedings, sanction its members for disorderly behaviour, and, with the concurrence of three quarters of its members, expel a member.

4. Both chambers shall keep a record of their proceedings and publish the same every month.

5. In both, those parts that require secrecy for the purpose of the Security of the Federation shall, with the consent of the Supreme Court, be accepted.

6. The votes of each member must be recorded and published.

7. Parliament shall be in session for at least twenty days during each calendar month. Both chambers shall jointly establish the calendar of their sessions. Neither chamber, during a session of Parliament, may adjourn or recess for more than three days.

8. The Council of the Federation may not adjourn without the approval of a majority of its members, and at least one delegate from every Member State.

Article 23
1. The representatives and delegates shall receive compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law and paid out of the Treasury of the Federation and adjusted every year according to inflation. Such compensation should include a salary and a grant to cover staff salaries and office rents and cover the travel and accommodation costs incurred by the representative or delegate in exercising their mandate.

2. Changes to this compensation shall take effect after the next election.

3. Representatives and delegates shall receive parliamentary immunity according to Federal law. The conditions for the removal of such immunity shall be specified under said Federal law, and under the rules of each chamber.

4. No delegate may hold additional office under the authority of the Federation.

5. With the exception of Cabinet positions, no representative may hold additional office under the authority of the Federation.

6. Citizens have the right to petition their representatives and delegates. Each chamber shall provide, in its rules of procedure, the process for reviewing and responding to such petitions.

Article 24
1. The ordinary legislative procedure shall consist in adoption of a Bill by the Federal Assembly and the Council of the Federation, which shall then become law, and be published in the Official Journal of the Federal Republic of Europe in the official language of every Member State.

2. Unless otherwise required under this Constitution, the adoption of a Bill, or any amendment to it, in either chamber of the Federal Parliament shall require a simple majority of the chamber’s members, namely more votes cast in favour of the bill than are cast against, with abstentions tallied as neither in favour or against.

3. A Bill can be introduced in either chamber by a member thereof, by the Prime Minister, or by a Cabinet Minister. Each chamber may, in its rules of procedure, require a certain number of co-signatories before a Bill can be introduced.

4. On its first reading, a Bill shall be debated, opened for amendments, and put to a vote in the chamber in which it has been introduced. If the Bill is rejected, the legislative procedure shall end. If the Bill is passed, it shall be sent in its current version to the other chamber, where it shall be debated, opened for amendments, and put to a vote. The Bill in its current version shall then be sent back to the chamber where it originated and start a second reading.

5. On its second reading, the Bill in its current version shall again be debated, opened for amendments, and put to a vote in the chamber in which it was originally introduced. The Bill in its current version shall then be sent to the other chamber, where it shall again be debated, opened for amendments, and put to a vote.

Article 25
1. If at any point during the process described in Article 24, paragraphs 4 and 5, a Bill is passed in identical terms by both chambers in succession, it shall be deemed adopted by the Federal Parliament, and the legislative procedure shall end.

2. If at any point during the process described in Article 24, paragraphs 4 and 5, a Bill is rejected by both chambers in succession, it shall be deemed rejected by the Federal Parliament, and the legislative procedure shall end.

3. If neither paragraph 1 or 2 are applicable, a Conciliatory Committee shall be gathered and the Bill shall be referred to it.

Article 26
1. Where a Bill has been referred to a Conciliatory Committee, each chamber shall select five of its members to partake in the Committee, taking into account the chamber’s political and national diversity. The Committee shall endeavour to create a common version of the Bill, which would be expected to receive majority support in both chambers. The Committee shall meet regularly, until such time as such a common version of the Bill is adopted by the vote of at least three of the five Committee members selected by each chamber, or until such time a vote under the same requirement concludes that no agreement can be reached.

2. If the Conciliation Committee concludes that no agreement can be reached on a Bill, the Bill shall be deemed rejected by the Federal Parliament, and the legislative procedure shall end unless the Prime Minister or the Chair of the Federal Assembly requests that the procedure set in paragraph 4 be used.

3. If the Conciliation Committee adopts a common version of the Bill, which shall be known as a Committee Agreement, it shall be referred to both chambers of the Federal Parliament for a third reading. Each chamber shall debate and vote on the Committee Agreement, without amendments. If the Agreement is passed by both chambers, the Bill shall be deemed adopted in this version. If either, or both chambers reject the Agreement, the Bill shall be deemed rejected, and the legislative procedure shall end unless the Prime Minister or the Chair of the Federal Assembly requests that the procedure set in paragraph 4 be used.

4. The Prime Minister or the Chair of the Federal Assembly may request that a Bill which has been deemed rejected pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 2 or 3 be resubmitted to the Federal Assembly for a final vote. The version of the Bill which the Assembly adopted during the second reading shall be debated and voted upon, without amendment. If the Bill receives the favourable votes of at least two thirds of the representatives in the Assembly, it shall be deemed adopted by the Federal Parliament, and the legislative procedure shall end.

Article 27
1. When a Bill has been adopted by the Federal Parliament, it shall be presented to the President of the Federal Republic of Europe. If they approve the Bill, they shall within three days sign it, and it shall be published and become law. Otherwise they shall within three days return it with a written record of their objections to the Federal Assembly, who shall reconsider the Bill. If after such reconsideration two third of the representatives in the Assembly vote in favour of the Bill, it shall be sent to the President, who shall sign it within two days without objection, and it shall be published and become law.

2. Any Bill adopted by the Federal Parliament pursuant to article 26, paragraph 4, shall not be subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this article, but shall instead be sent to the President of the Federal Republic of Europe, who shall sign it within two days without objection, and it shall be published and become law.

Article 28
1. The procedure laid out in article 26, paragraph 4, shall not apply to any law regulating the use of military force, not to any law pertaining to matters of national security, including but not limited to the use and storage of nuclear weapons and waste. Such laws shall require the consent of both chambers of Parliament.

2. The procedure laid out in article 26, paragraph 4 shall not apply to any Federal law made in application of article 20 of this Constitution. Such laws shall require the consent of both chambers of Parliament.

Article 29
1. The President of the Federal Republic of Europe shall be elected every 5 months by the citizens of the Federal Republic. Candidates should be of stature and of strong emotional resolve and have resided on the territory of the Federal Republic for more than 8 years.

2. The President shall receive compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, paid out of the Treasury of the Federal Republic, and adjusted every year according to inflation. Such compensation should include a salary and a grant to cover staff salaries and office rents and cover the travel and accommodation costs incurred by the President in exercising their mandate.

3. Changes to this compensation shall take effect after the next election.

4. The President shall receive no other form of compensation from the Federal Republic, or from its Member States, during their tenure in office, nor shall they receive or accept any compensation, salary, gift, or other emolument, from any individual or entity, foreign or domestic.

5. The President shall be the Head of State of the Federal Republic. In times of war, they shall be the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic.

6. The President shall be removed from office on impeachment by the Federal Assembly for, and conviction by the Supreme Court of, treason, bribery, refusal to uphold and enforce the law, or other high crimes and misdemeanours.

7. Should the President relinquish or vacate their office before the expiration of their term, the Chair of the Council of the Federation shall take upon the office of President until the Federal Assembly elects a new President from among it’s members, who shall be elected for the remainder of the presidential term.

Article 30
1. After consulting with all the relevant individuals, the President shall nominate a candidate to the office of Prime Minister. The Federal Assembly shall have the power to confirm this candidate, upon which confirmation they shall take office. Shall the candidate be rejected, the President shall nominate another candidate, until such time as the office of Prime Minister is filled. If the President believes no potential candidate for the office of Prime Minister can be confirmed by the Assembly, they may dissolve the Assembly and call for new elections.

2. If the Assembly has been dissolved, the term of the Assembly elected as a result of the subsequent election shall only last for the remainder of the current legislative term.

3. The Prime Minister shall be the Head of Government of the Federal Republic. They shall direct and conduct the Federal Government and all of its administration and personnel.

Article 31
1. The Prime Minister shall propose a Cabinet to the President, with the President deciding on the number of Cabinet Ministers, that number being no more than 14 and no less than 8, not including the Prime Minister. The President shall not have the power to accept or reject any and all individuals proposed by the Prime Minister.

2. The Cabinet, as a whole, shall be subject to confirmation by the Federal Assembly.

3. The Federal Assembly shall have the power to dismiss the Prime Minister and their Cabinet following the adoption of a motion of no-confidence in the Cabinet by a vote of more than half the members of the Assembly.

4. The Federal Assembly shall have the power to dismiss an individual Cabinet Minister following the adoption of a motion of no-confidence in said Cabinet Minister by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Assembly.

5. In times of peace, one of the Cabinet Ministers shall be the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic. The identity of this Minister must be indicated to the President and the Federal Assembly from the beginning of the confirmation process.

6. Cabinet Ministers shall assist the Prime Minister in their duties under Article 30, paragraph 3. They shall rely for the undertaking of this task on the Federal administration placed under their supervision by the Prime Minister.

7. If a Cabinet Minister has resigned, been dismissed, or has vacated its office in any other way, the Prime Minister shall appoint a new Cabinet Minister to take over the former Minister’s position in Cabinet.

8. Any Federal administration required for the functioning of the Federal Republic, and the implementation of Federal laws, shall be established by Federal law.

Article 32
1. If a Prime Minister and their Cabinet have resigned or been dismissed, they shall remain in office in a transitional capacity, with limited powers as defined under Federal law, until such time as a new Prime Minister and Cabinet are in office.

2. A motion of no-confidence under Article 31, paragraph 3, shall bear mention of the name of the individual who would be recommended to the President as a new Prime Minister, should the motion be adopted.

Article 33
1. There shall be a Council of Ministers of the Member States, composed of the Heads of State or Government of each Member State, and chaired by the President of the Federal Republic.

2. Any Member States whose State Constitution has made the office of Head of State a hereditary one shall be represented by its Head of Government in the Council of Ministers.

3. The Council of Ministers shall meet at least once every month.

4. The Council of Ministers shall advise the President on matters pertaining to the individual situation, policies, and actions, of each Member State, and on their relations with the Cabinet and other Federal institutions.

Article 34
1. The Judicial Power of the Federal Republic of Europe shall be vested in the Federal Court of Justice, and in such inferior Federal courts as may be established under Federal law. Judges in lower courts shall be appointed for life, or until retirement. Judges in the Court of Justice shall be appointed for a six months term, with no judge serving more than two terms.

2. The Council of the Federation shall nominate judges by a two thirds majority of its members, on the basis of a recommended list submitted by the Court of Justice. The President shall have the power to confirm or refuse nominees.

Article 35
1. The Judges of the Court of Justice shall be a number of five and be chosen from persons whose independence is beyond doubt and who possess the ability required for appointment to high judicial office.

2. The Court of Justice shall ensure that this Constitution is observed in Federal and state law, both in the law’s application, and interpretation.

Article 36
1. The President of the Federal Republic, the Prime Minister, or at least a third of the members of the Federal Assembly or the Council of the Federation shall have the power to defer any Federal law to the Court of Justice before it enters into force. The Court of Justice shall rule in due time on the constitutionality of such a law, and provisions thereof. No law deferred to the Court of Justice under this paragraph shall enter into force before the Court has ruled on its constitutionality.

2. When, in any proceeding in a court of law, the legality of a law, or a provision thereof, is challenged by one of the parties to said proceeding on the grounds that it is unconstitutional, the Court of Justice may be seized with the matter, under the conditions and according to the procedure laid out in Federal law, and shall rule in due time.

3. Where the Court of Justice has ruled that a law, or provision thereof, is unconstitutional, such law or provision shall be abrogated from the date of the publication of the Court’s decision, or from any later date decided in said decision.

Article 37
1. The Court of Justice shall be the highest jurisdiction in the Federal Republic of Europe, and may, under the conditions and according to a procedure laid out in Federal law, hear any appeal from any court of law in the Federation, provided that the appealed matter cannot be appealed to in any other court of law in the territory of the Federation.

2. The judicial power of the Federal Republic of Europe shall extend to all cases arising under this Constitution, the laws of the Federal Republic, as well as any cases the Court of Justice would deem necessary to include.

Article 38
No action shall be brought in a court of law against a judge for actions or decisions taken in the carrying out of their duties under the Constitution and the law. No judge shall be held liable in a court of law for a ruling they issued.

Article 39
1. There shall be Centralised powers and Decentralised powers.

2. The Member States and the Federal Parliament shall have the power to adopt legislation.

3. On matters which are Centralised powers, Federal legislation shall supersede that of the Member States.

4. On matters which are Decentralised powers, legislation by the Member States shall supersede Federal legislation.

Article 40
The following matters shall be Centralised powers, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 39:

(a) Matters for which this Constitution requires the adoption of a Federal law;

(b) Nationality, and the status and capacity of persons;

(c) The general organisation of Federal defence, and the fundamental guarantees granted to Federal civil servants and members and retirees of the Federal armed forces.

Article 41
1. Following the ratification of this Constitution, the Federal Parliament shall adopt a Federal constitutional law setting out the extent to which specific matters are Centralised or Decentralised powers.

2. The constitutional law provided for under this article may be amended at the request of the Federal Assembly, the Council of the Federation, the Prime Minister, or any legislative body or head of State or Government under the Constitution of a Member State of the Federal Republic. This request must take the form of an amendment to said constitutional law and be immediately submitted to the relevant chamber of the Federal Parliament under this article.

3. Amendment to said constitutional law which would add to the list of Centralised powers, or remove from the list of Decentralised powers, shall be submitted to, and receive the consent of, two-thirds of the delegates of the Council of the Federation.

4. Amendments to said constitutional law which would add to the list of Decentralised powers, or remove form the list of Centralised powers, shall be submitted to, and receive the consent of, two-thirds of the representatives of the Federal Assembly.

5. On matters which, under said constitutional law, are neither Centralised nor Decentralised powers, legislation by the Member States shall supersede Federal legislation.

Article 42
1. This Constitution, and the laws of the Federal Republic of Europe which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the Federal Republic, shall supersede laws and constitutions made by the Member States of the Federal Republic. The judges in every Member State shall be bound thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the constitution or laws of any Member States.

2. Full faith and credit shall be given in each Member State to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other Member State. The Federal Parliament may by Federal law prescribe the manner in which such acts, records and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.

3. Laws made by a Member State of the Federal Republic of Europe before joining the Federal Republic shall not be subject to legal challenge under this Constitution for the first 10 years following the accession of said Member State to the Federal Republic. Decisions of a court of law or an administrative entity under the Constitution of a Member State, if enacted before the accession of this Member State, shall not be subject to legal challenge under this Constitution.

Article 43
1. A Budget Bill shall determine the revenue and expenditure of the Federation for a period of 2 months. It shall originate in the Federal Assembly.

2. The Federal Parliament shall have the power to levy and collect taxes, duties, and excises, to borrow money on the credit of the Federation and pay debts, to coin money and regulate its value, and to provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and currency of the Federation.

3. The provisions of this article may be further specified and completed by a Federal constitutional law.

Article 44
1. The Federal Republic and its Member States shall uphold a democratic form of government.

2. The Federal Republic shall protect each of its Member States against invasion or aggression.

3. The Federal Republic shall, upon request by a Member State, provide it with civilian assistance and relief in the face of an emergency.

4. In order to avert an imminent danger to the existence or the basic free, democratic order of the Federation or of a Member State, a Member State may call upon police forces of other Member States, or upon personnel and facilities of other administrative authorities and of any existing Federal law enforcement forces.

5. In order to avert an imminent danger to the existence or the basic free, democratic order of the Federation or of a Member State, and if the assistance obtained under the previous paragraph is insufficient, the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic may employ the armed forces to support the police and the Federal law enforcement forces in protecting civilian property and in combating organised armed insurgents. Any such employment of the Armed Forces shall be discontinued if the Federal Assembly or the Council of the Federation so demands.

6. If the Member State where an imminent danger to the existence or the basic free, democratic order of the Federation or of the Member State is imminent is not itself willing or able to combat the danger, the Prime Minister may place the police in that Member State and the police forces of other Member States under their own orders and deploy units of the Federal law enforcement forces. Any such order shall be rescinded once the danger is removed or at any time on the demand of the Council of the Federation. If the danger extends beyond the territory of a single Member State, the Prime Minister, insofar as is necessary to combat such danger, may issue instructions to the governments of the Member States; the first and second sentences of this paragraph shall not be affected by this provision.

Article 45
The power to declare war shall lie exclusively with the Federal Parliament. A declaration of war shall receive the consent of more than half the representatives in the Federal Assembly, and more than half the delegates in the Council of the Federation.

Article 46
1. The choice by any Member State to maintain the office of Head of State as, or turn the office of Head of State into, a hereditary one shall not be construed as undemocratic.

2. No law shall be made by the Federal Parliament that would contravene or otherwise impede the right of any Member State to set a voting age lower than 18 years old.

Article 47
1. The citizens and residents of each Member State shall be entitled to all rights of citizens and residents in the several Member States. This provision shall not prevent the establishment of preferential rights designed to prevent or redress discrimination.

2. Member States shall be entitled to establish a constitutional court under their constitution, and any such inferior courts as may be established under the Member State’s law. The judicial power of such courts shall extend to all cases arising under the Constitution of the relevant Member State, and the laws of this Member State.

3. A person charged in any Member State with any crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another Member State, shall on demand of the executive authority of the Member State from which they fled, be delivered up to be removed to the Member State having jurisdiction of the crime.

Article 48
The power to implement legislation shall be vested, for Federal legislation, onto the Prime Minister and their Cabinet, and for legislation adopted by a Member State, onto the executive of this Member State. The executive of a Member State shall have the power to implement Federal legislation where necessary for the effective implementation of said legislation.

Article 49
1. The power to represent the Federal Republic of Europe in international institutions, to negotiate and ratify Treaties and Conventions with Foreign States or international institutions, to establish embassies and accredit and receive envoys shall lie solely with the Federation.

2. The President of the Federal Republic of Europe and the Prime Minister shall exercise the powers listed in the previous paragraph. The repartition of such powers between these two offices shall be established under Federal law.

3. Treaties and Conventions that regulate the political relations of the Federation or relate to subjects of Federal or state law shall require the consent of a majority of representatives in the Federal Assembly and a majority of delegates in the Council of the Federation.

Article 50
1. Accession to the Federation shall be subject to respect by the applicant State for the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, these values being common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.

2. Any European State which respects the values referred to in the previous paragraph and is committed to promoting them may apply to become a member of the Federation. The Federal Parliament and national legislatures shall be notified of this application. The applicant State shall address its application to the President of the Federation, who shall act after consulting the Cabinet and after receiving the consent of the Federal Parliament, both chambers of which shall act by a majority of their component members.

3. The conditions of admission shall be the subject of an agreement between the Federation and the applicant State. This agreement shall be submitted for ratification by the Federal Parliament and the legislatures of all the Member States. If the population of the applicant State amounts for more than five percent of the Federation’s overall population, any Member States may hold a non-binding referendum on the issue.

Article 51
1. The legislature of a Member State may request from the Federal Parliament the authorisation to hold a referendum on whether the Member State should start negotiations to withdraw from the Federation.

2. Where such referendum has been granted, and over sixty percent of the population of the Member State has voted in favour of starting negotiations to withdraw from the Federation, the executive of said Member State shall notify the President of the Federal Republic of Europe of its intention.

3. Following such notification, the President shall gather an ad-hoc committee, which they shall chair, composed of the Prime Minister, of Cabinet Ministers, of representatives of the Member State who has notified its intention to withdraw from the Federation, and of representatives of all the other Member States. This ad-hoc committee shall discuss the causes which lead to the withdrawal notice, explore ways for these causes to be addressed, and make proposals which, if implemented, could ensure the Member State wishing to withdraw instead remains in the Federation.

4. When the ad-hoc committee has been unsuccessful in its mission, the Federation shall negotiate and conclude an agreement with that Member State, setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Federation.

5. When a withdrawal agreement has been reached, the Member State shall hold a referendum on whether it shall withdraw from the Federation under the terms of the agreement or remain in the Federation.

6. A Member State may, at any point prior to the adoption of a withdrawal agreement by referendum, and in accordance with its own constitutional requirements, give notice to the President of the Federal Republic of Europe of its decision to stop the withdrawal process and remain a Member State of the Federation.

7. If a Member State which has withdrawn from the Federation asks to re-join, its request shall be subject to the procedure referred to in Article 50.

Article 52
1. Amendments to this Constitution may be introduced in the Federal Assembly or the Council of the Federation.

2. Where an amendment is approved, in the chamber it has been introduced in, by a majority of three fifths of the members of said chamber, it shall be deemed proposed, and sent to the other chamber, and to the Member States, for ratification.

3. Where a proposed amendment has been ratified by three fifths of the members of the other chamber of the Federal Parliament, and by the legislature of three fifths of the Member States, it shall be deemed adopted and become part of this Constitution.

4. Member States shall not hold binding referenda, or non-binding referenda, on the issue of the ratification of a proposed amendment.

5. No amendment to this Constitution may be introduced, approved or ratified which contradicts, weakens or nullifies the fundamental democratic principles of the Federation.

Article 53
This Constitution shall come into force immediately following its ratification by three fifths of the legislatures of the founding States.

Written by Rémi Carton and Ladislas Romuald on behalf and under the supervision of the undersigned delegates to the Constitutional Convention of June 2035, in the City Hall of Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium, Federal Republic of Europe.

Rémi Carton (Chairman)

Ladislas Romuald (Secretary)

Nick Curtis

Johan Lindström

Gérard van Lier

Wolf

Jacob Bachmann

Paul Bauer

Skyler Ash

Leonzio

Samantha Karner

Matisse Tyrell

Frank Baguette

Yannick

Hefe

Along with the alternate delegates

Mr. Kilua

Mr. Lindström

Mr. Rosenberg

Mr. Weiss