Europe United was founded as a pro-European organisation in 2005 by Finnish, but Danish-based politician Aki Paasovaara shortly after France and the Netherlands voted down the proposed European Union constitution. Mr Paasovaara created Europe United as a forum to allow pro-Europeans from throughout Europe to debate on EU issues and especially those concerning its future. He saw beyond national politics and envisioned a pro-European and pan-European political party whose members would unite to achieve a common goal. Passovaara saw such a party as the engine for developing a more integrated and democratic European Union.

In September 2005 Europe United officially registered as a political association in Denmark and a governing Board was created consisting of its founder Aki Paasovaara, and Brian Andersen, Jyry Kärna and Jannie Paasovaara.

The first convention was held in May 2006 at the official seat of the organisation in Copenhagen (Denmark). The event was decisive in the history of Europe United. It consolidated its political direction and philosophy and marked the first step in creating the party envisioned by Mr Paasovaara. In the wake of that first convention a new Board was named consisting of Aki Paasovaara, Ivan Bavcevic, Francesco Cerminara, Mikael Latreille, George Masterton, Pietro di Matteis, and Brigit McCone.

A temporary charter was also drafted and over 30 senators were elected to represent their fellow members and discuss policy.

After a year and a half at its head Aki Paasovaara stepped down in February 2007 as party leader. During that time he built Europe United from a small group of dedicated pro-Europeans into a pan-European organisation with members from across Europe sharing a common vision for the continent. Mikael Latreille was subsequently elected by the membership as the new president and new Board members chosen (Mikael Latreille, Brigit McCone, Petros Fassoulas, Michael Duller, and Bengt Beier). More streamlined political platforms were subsequently approved. In April 2008, Europe United launched it's "Five Demands" campaign for more democracy and accountability in the European Union. In summer 2008, the German members created the first National Chapter of Europe United and elected a Board of 7 members which subsequently was very successful in setting up structures in Germany.

In the run-up to the European Elections 2009, Europe United elected its fourth Board in February 2009. In May 2009, Europe United held its fifth Convention in Frankfurt and Salzburg, created the Austrian National Chapter and selected five Candidates for the European Elections 2009. Shortly after the elections, the Board initiated a Program commission to draft a broader political platform and integrate the experiences of the first years. The new programmatic guidelines were finally agreed on unanimously at the sixth Convention in December 2009 in Leuven. Shortly before, Europe United successfully led a broad campaign of pro-Europeans to drive Czech President Václav Klaus to sign the Lisbon treaty.

At the Leuven Convention in December 2009, a new Board of 10 members was elected after big changes to the charter were made.



Reforming the institutional make-up of the European Union is at the heart of Europe United’s objectives. Europe United believes that any reform of the European Union must be based on more democratic foundations. We believe EU citizens must have a greater say in the way the Union is run. We promote this principle through various campaigns and petitions of our own which give citizens the ability to show their support for greater integration and greater democracy in the European Union. Europe United also supports the efforts of other organisations and campaigns with similar aims.