This May 5, as we honour the past, we must also look forward – to a vision of freedom not hijacked by hatred, but empowered by equality, compassion, and democracy

May 5 is the day the freedom is celebrated in the Netherlands. But that freedom is increasingly under threat.

Here in the Netherlands, we see how polarisation, disinformation, and authoritarian tendencies are driving a shift toward the far right. Along with that shift comes an ideology rooted in racism, inequality, intolerance, sexism, hatred, and exclusion – ideals that are gaining ground in our country.

But that’s not who we are. We are a nation that values freedom.

The struggle for our freedom continues

Freedom alone is not enough to counter the destructive forces represented by the PVV and its supporters. Ethics and social justice must go hand in hand with freedom. These values are inseparable – because freedom without justice and equality is not true freedom. It undermines the foundations of our democracy and the rule of law. And that’s not the path that will lead us out of the downward spiral we currently face.

Organising for freedom

That’s why DiEM25 in the Netherlands is actively working to build and shape our political party, MERA25 Netherlands.

We believe that freedom belongs to everyone – not that one person’s freedom should come at the expense of another’s. Somewhere along the way, the West has forgotten what Aristotle taught us: that virtue and ethics are inseparably tied to both freedom and economics. MERA25 Netherlands is committed to restoring these values to their rightful place.

We believe in people

We believe in an inclusive society where people work together to make collective freedom a reality. We believe in cooperation and solidarity, in the principles of nature, in a Green New Deal for Europe, in demilitarisation, in Universal Basic Income, in an end to war, to apartheid, and to genocide – but most of all, we believe in people.

We know we can do better than fighting over scraps of freedom that remain out of reach for most, while the gap between rich and poor grows ever wider. If we don’t work together to achieve real freedom, it will remain nothing more than a hollow dream.

That’s why we’re committed to MERA25 Netherlands. Join us. Because together, we won’t just dream of freedom and equality – we will make it real.

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