We are Europeans, living in all parts of Europe, from Rhodes to Turku, from Tallinn to Lisbon.
Some of us are young, some are older, some are successful, some are striving for professional reputation, some are wealthy, and some are lacking money.
We wish for Europe to flourish, we want more countries to join us, because Europe is a great place and a wonderful concept of shared peace, civilisation and prosperity.
We are concerned about the increasing influence of disgusting right-wing-populist parties like Geert Wilders’ PVV, True Finns, as well as the Swiss and Danish People’s Parties.
We strongly oppose the creeping cancer of the re-nationalisation of politics in Europe. Instead, we need a strengthening of the supra-nationalisation of economic and social policy, of nuclear and carbon free energy policies.
We like to travel freely across borders and we want to be able to work were we want to.
We support Europe because it is our home, because it should protect our personal freedom, our security and our future prosperity.
If Europe and our common currency, the euro, are strong, we can hope for social welfare and jobs in an increasingly competitive global environment.
Europe and the euro can be our defence against the lack of political regulation and the perils of free market globalisation.
We know: Europe is not for free. If we want to benefit from Europe, if we want to enjoy it, we have to stand by each other. And sometimes this means that we have to pay for each other.
Right now Greece, Ireland, Portugal and perhaps other countries need our help. We don’t refuse giving financial aid. We are in favour of transfers from one country to another, if they are really necessary.
Yet indebted countries should only be offered financial aid if they work hard to solve their problems themselves.
Because this is what Europe is about: We want to enhance our welfare by sharing it. Providing assistance and accepting assistance makes Europe stronger.
We don’t like it that national governments try to manage the present crisis of our common currency without asking us for more participation. Europe has to become more democratic.
This means: Power to the people, power to the Europeans! Shift power from governments to people and parliaments!
We demand more democracy. National governments should hand over parts of their power to European institutions. National parliaments should hand over parts of their competences to the European Parliament.
The European Commission should evolve into a European government under full control of the European Parliament. The European Parliament has to become our common representation.
Cut down superficial hierarchies, bureaucracy, money-eating and time-wasting layers of government within national states!
Strengthen the political ownership of European citizens in their cities and hometowns! Expand civic participation by implementing new democratic institutions.
We need Europe to establish a modern kind of social security. We need a common minimum of social rights, protection and wages.
Those with higher incomes and more capital should pay more taxes than poorer people. We need a new balance and equity of the tax load in favour of workers and employees. That goes for financing the present euro crisis, too.
We are in favour of introducing and raising European taxes in order to make the European Parliament and Government more independent of national policies.
Europe means peace. We had to come a long way to achieve this aim. We should protect what we have gained. The euro can mean economic peace. Let’s defend Europe and our common currency against their enemies!
© Hannes Koch, May 2011