To achieve these reforms, DiEM25 is asking European citizens to join its movement and help to ensure a free, fair and democratic future for all.

It launched on 9th February 2016 with support from Yanis Varoufakis (economist), Julian Assange (WikiLeaks), Brian Eno (musician) and Caroline Lucas (Green Party) amongst many others.

What's wrong with Europe?

“Our countries, and all other countries, actually need to work more closely together with the institutions that the treaty set up, to deliver prosperity, hope, opportunity and jobs for our people.”

- Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands

After World War II, the EU brought together the nations, cultures and citizens of Europe to agree a framework of human rights and shared prosperity, and to commit to values of internationalism and disappearing borders. From a history of conflict, the EU showed that peace, solidarity and consensus can be achieved.

The creation of the EU was an exceptional achievement, its economic basis was flawed from the beginning. Due to its origins as a trade organisation, the EU has always prioritised the interests of industry and big business over the interests of citizens. This means that European decision-making has always been undemocratic. In the present day, it continues to operate primarily in the interests of the powerful.

Today, the European Union is turning people against each other. Not since World War II have European citizens been so fearful and suspicious of each other. The refugee crisis, the threat of terrorism and the ongoing economic uncertainty are international problems that can only be tackled together. There is an urgent need for coherent policies that protect us from danger but demonstrate our values as Europeans.

During Greece’s Debt Crisis, Europe witnessed economic interests overrule democracy directly. Since 2008, banks have failed and taxpayers have bailed them out. The rights of workers are being eroded across the continent. Ethnic and religious tensions have increased, creating divisions over free movement and migration. European foreign policy has become incoherent. There has been a rise of nationalist sentiment unlike anything Europe has seen since the 1930s. The EU is institutionally committed to policies that result in avoidable levels of poverty, hardship and inequality.

In short, Europe has lost sight of its values.

The Proposal

Yes, our movement seems utopian even to us. However, the only alternative is the terrible dystopia unfolding before our eyes as the EU disintegrates

- Yanis Varoufakis, DiEM25

DiEM25 believes that:

Regulations should exist to serve citizens, not the other way around. Currencies should make trade more efficient, not less efficient. A single market should defend the sovereign power of all countries equally. Lenders of money (creditors) should be held as responsible as borrowers of money (debtors). Democracy must steer capitalism towards sustainability and acceptable levels of inequality.

These values can only be pursued if we create a more democratic and fully functional Europe. To do this DiEM25 is campaigning to achieve four important goals by 2025:

Immediately : full transparency in decision-making. This means publishing the minutes of meetings between representatives, live-streaming EU council meetings, and publishing drafts of agreements and details of negotiations. Transparency would be incomplete without a mandatory listing of lobbyists in a public ledger, which includes client names, remuneration details, and records of meetings with elected and unelected officials).

: full transparency in decision-making. This means publishing the minutes of meetings between representatives, live-streaming EU council meetings, and publishing drafts of agreements and details of negotiations. Transparency would be incomplete without a mandatory listing of lobbyists in a public ledger, which includes client names, remuneration details, and records of meetings with elected and unelected officials). Within 12 months : realistic policy proposals that will fix the ongoing crises that Europe faces. The discretionary powers of European institutions must be limited, and sovereignty must be returned to national and regional European governments. The existing treaties, charters and institutions of Europe must be reassessed in order to address and resolve problems of public debt, banking, inadequate investment, migration and rising poverty.

: realistic policy proposals that will fix the ongoing crises that Europe faces. The discretionary powers of European institutions must be limited, and sovereignty must be returned to national and regional European governments. The existing treaties, charters and institutions of Europe must be reassessed in order to address and resolve problems of public debt, banking, inadequate investment, migration and rising poverty. Within two years : a new and democratic European Constitutional Assembly to replace the outdated institutions, charters and treaties of the European Union. This will allow European citizens to help transform Europe into an authentic democracy which shares power with national parliaments, regional assemblies and municipal councils, but also respects the national self-determination of its member states.

: a new and democratic European Constitutional Assembly to replace the outdated institutions, charters and treaties of the European Union. This will allow European citizens to help transform Europe into an authentic democracy which shares power with national parliaments, regional assemblies and municipal councils, but also respects the national self-determination of its member states. By 2025: the completion of a European constitution and the establishment of a European Constitutional Assembly to uphold its values.

To find out more visit diem25.org