Why We Exist
“The Europeans” was born out of the unbearable realization of the historic risk Europeans are facing.
For years, we have witnessed the erosion of our continent’s economic, cultural, and political influence, and of European identity itself.
The world we believed to be immutable and permanent, shaped by our rules, is now gone. The rules of the game have changed: competition, coercion, blackmail, and the law of the strongest now prevail. Whether we like it or not, this is the world we live in – and must operate within.
Despite this reality, the passivity of our leaders in the face of political decline and the weakening of our societies has been chilling and deeply discouraging. It offers only the prospect of darker days ahead: days when European states become little more than markets to be exploited and divided by American and Chinese mega-corporations; days when Russia advances piece by piece into Eastern Europe.
The response to this prospect has been an endless series of summits concluding with grand yet hollow declarations – but no action, no decisive gestures, no radical reassessment of our trajectory. Despair looms. Europeans feel defeated and powerless.
How did we reach this point?
For years, while our adversaries pursued their agendas guided solely by their strategic interests, Europeans became trapped in partisan divisions and narrow national squabbles, ignoring the major challenges we face together. While we were paralyzed by infighting and short-term interests, we neglected our collective prosperity, security, and identity – and others shaped the world in our absence.
Not only did we allow particularistic interests to blind us to our common good, but we also abdicated our role in the world. The EU project and many of our policies over the past eight decades have been built primarily on preserving economic privileges rather than articulating a clear vision for Europe’s role globally.
We rejected boldness and clung to the defence of the status quo, while others reshaped the world in our place.
The result is a profound crisis of confidence in what Europeans are still capable of building – and in our ability to shape, influence, and lead politically, economically, and culturally.
Our Mission
We believe that Europeans already share common economic, cultural, and security interests – interests our decision-makers have neglected for too long.
In the pursuit of our collective interest, we Europeans must move beyond our divisions and rally around the core values we share across political cultures: democracy, social equity, rule of law, and an honest engagement with our complex history.
We must adapt our operational model and foster a new political consciousness across Europe to guide our actions – one that consistently and uncompromisingly prioritises the collective interest of the European people over the short-term demands of individual member states and entrenched interest groups.
The mission of “The Europeans” is to clarify and articulate the European interests and amplify their recognition across society and among policymakers, and generate concrete pressure for policy advances in areas where partisan and national divisions most severely limit our ability to defend ourselves.
We are committed to advancing common-sense, fact-based discussions that prioritize Europe’s collective prosperity over partisan, ideological, or nationalist impulses.
Our goal is to contribute to the emergence of a genuine European political conscience and renewed confidence, within which all political and ideological traditions can express themselves and compete to shape Europe’s political direction.
We are guided by three convictions:
- First, a genuine European identity already exists. It has been shaped by centuries of diverse histories and cultures, yet it is united by shared values: a deep commitment to freedom, democracy, self-determination, entrepreneurship, and strong ties to our communities. This is Europe – and these are the Europeans.
- Second, no single European state can navigate today’s challenges alone. Our unity, now under pressure from multiple directions, is the only viable path to preserving our influence, identity, and achievements, and to avoiding subordination to the visions imposed by Washington, Moscow, or Beijing. Those who oppose European unity are often those who benefit most from division, because a fragmented Europe is far easier to pressure, manipulate, and control.
- Third, the current institutional structure of the European Union is designed to protect national and particular interests over the collective European interest. Reforms, regulations, and institutional initiatives are constrained by national governments and entrenched interest groups. Real change will not come from institutions alone. It must come from Europeans themselves, demanding a fundamental reset of political priorities in favour of our shared interest. The era of watered-down compromises – a hallmark of current EU methods – must come to an end.
How to Get There
“The Europeans” seeks to create a space and a community where citizens can regain confidence and drive meaningful change by promoting boldly this vision, independently from political affiliations, ideological convictions and national origins.
“The Europeans” aims to:
- Amplify issues of European relevance, shape the agenda, and spotlight topics of critical importance across social media.
- Analyse facts, trends, and events; host expert opinions; and explain complex realities in accessible ways that clearly frame European interests.
- Drive tangible political change through both citizen mobilisation and organised political pressure on decision-makers at both national and EU levels.
Our focus shall remain on the policy areas that mostly represent the common European interest: foreign and security policy, industrial capacity, energy resilience, financial and economic integration, technological independence, demography, and shared European culture and narrative.
If you are interested in contributing to our efforts – to amplify this vision, analyse European developments, and advance concrete policy change – reach out.