On May 9, we celebrate Europe Day – a day dedicated to peace and unity in Europe. This date marks the anniversary of the 1950 Schuman Declaration, which laid the groundwork for what would later become the European Union. But 75 years on, the question is more urgent than ever: what kind of Europe are we celebrating? And more importantly: what kind of Europe do we want to create?
For DiEM25 in the Netherlands, the answer is clear. Europe Day should not only be a moment to reflect on the history of European cooperation, but also – and especially – to examine the future of Europe. And that future must be radically more democratic, greener, and more social than the Europe we know today.
The EU’s crisis
Over the past decades, the European Union has become a technocratic structure, often more disconnected from its citizens than ever before. Economic inequality between member states is growing, border control is increasingly militarised, and neoliberal policies continue to dominate – even as the climate crisis and social injustice force us to make fundamental choices.
This is not the Europe DiEM25 believes in.
An alternative: transparency, solidarity, and democracy
On Europe Day, we call for a reinvention of the European project. DiEM25 stands for a democratic Europe where policies are not shaped by lobbyists and backroom deals in Brussels, but by citizens who have a real voice. A Europe where transparency is the norm, where social justice and climate justice go hand in hand, and where solidarity between people is more important than competition between markets.
From commemoration to action
Europe Day should be a moment of both reflection and action. We can commemorate the past, but we must not become fixated on what Europe was. We must think about what Europe can become. That requires courage, organisation, and a shared vision. It requires a movement like DiEM25.
On May 9, we do not only celebrate the past – we are building the future.
Join us.
Carpé DiEM
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