Manifesto

#WeAreEurope

Europe is currently facing unprecedented, coordinated attacks, both from within and outside, aimed at deregulating, dismantling, and ultimately undoing Europe. Impressed and emboldened by the arrival of Trump and Musk in the USA, and encouraged by the Draghi report and the repeated calls from politicians and business organizations for a "shock of simplification," these proponents of relentless deregulation believe they can exploit Europe's fragility and disunity to impose their vision. Yet, we assert that this vision is a minority view in Europe. It belongs to a privileged few who seek to become even more privileged.

Our Europe has many flaws, and there is an urgent need to reignite the desire around the European project: contrary to appearances and declinist narratives, this desire is not buried too deeply, and the immense challenges we face are an opportunity to revive it—fighting inequalities, suffering, injustices, climate change, and biodiversity loss. We need to reform a governance system that disregards its people’s opinions, reduce bureaucracy, and more.

There is a strong distrust in today's Europe: it has repeatedly tried to impose a project contrary to the will of its people, it is cold and bureaucratic, and it is perceived by many as a heavy, impersonal machine that demands a lot without giving much in return.

But Europe is an extraordinary continent, with a period of peace unlike any in its history, paid for at a great cost. A continent at peace, where healthcare and education are of high quality and accessible to the majority, where food is healthy and diverse, where we live more securely than elsewhere, where diversity is respected and promoted, where we are advancing in decarbonizing our economy, where innovation thrives, and where we have infrastructure, research centers, startups, and large companies, attracting tourists from around the world. A continent that has built an equilibrium and set of benchmarks that the entire world envies.

A silent majority of Europeans does not want to be told that the European project for the future is to become a pale copy of the US under Trump or of China. We respect our partners, but we have our own strengths, our millennial identity, and we are undoubtedly the continent best equipped for the future.

Those who claim to defend the European economy by promoting massive, hasty deregulation are working for Europe’s decline, the loss of sovereignty, and a decline in competitiveness.

We can and want to become the first major economy to operate within planetary boundaries. That’s how we will become the leading global economy. Let’s stop being self-conscious in the face of others and impressed by their bluster. Let’s not hand over Europe to those who don’t love Europe.

Let’s unite and work for a robust, modern, supportive, inclusive, innovative, joyful, and generous Europe.We are not the USA, nor China—we are Europe. And we are proud of it.

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