"Tear down this wall!" In accordance with the position they hold since several years, the Young European Federalists (JEF) have launched a new campaign to bring attention to the plight of non-EU Europeans when trying to travel. The action, going under the motto "Europe, Tear down this wall!", will feature young activists on the central squares of 50 European cities building up fake 'Chekpoint Charlies' or walls of carton and breaking them again. The Young Federalists condemn the current costly and lengthy visa regime imposed on citizens of the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Belarus. The bureaucratic process to obtain a Schengen visa often involves hour-long outdoors queues, and in some countries cost up to €120. In contrast, the average monthly salary in Kosovo is less than €200. Newly-elected JEF President Philippe Adriaenssens said:

With this highly symbolic and historical action, JEF Europe calls for demolition of the walls of visas and borders still dividing Europeans in Europe. Just as the fall of the Berlin wall united Germany 20 years ago, let the fall of these remaining walls finally unite Europe!

This new JEF campaign follows recent announcements by the European Union to lift visa requirements for Montenegran, Serbian and Macedonian citizens. JEF will hold a press conference on Wednesday November 5 at the European Parliament with Jan-Phillipp Albrecht (German Greens), Andrew Duff (Union European Federalists), and Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck (ELDR). European Congress JEF was holding its biannual European Congress in Florence this week-end. Meeting in the beautiful Villa La Fonte, at the European University Institute, the Young Federalists elected their European leadership. Guest speakers included Monica Frassoni (Co-president of the European Greens) and Andrew Duff (president of the UEF). Topics debated included the Lisbon treaty, Climate Change, European Migration policy and homophobia in Europe.