EUtopia
Europe is large and diverse
For those who are eager to try, it is possible to have French breakfast and Italian lunch in one day. An apple strudel during the coffee-break and Currywurst in the evening. By doing so, one passes at least three borders and hardly notices a thing.
Boundless
That's a type of freedom that not only us Europeans appreciate. That is why people from all over the world visit us. Some want to stay forever.
United in diversity
None of this would be possible without the EU. It is through the EU that we have learned to communicate and get to agreements. It is through the EU that we have developed enormous potential as a continent.
Shaping the future
But Europe is not a foregone conclusion. And while we are fighting politically to maintain the status quo, we must not lose sight of our common vision for a strong Europe.
Less alone, more together.
Less nation state and more United States.
Less veto and more co-determination.
Democratic, social-ecological, cosmopolitan.
How do we succeed?
We need spaces of exchange across national and party borders.
I'd like to create those.
For example, at the former Stasi headquarters in Berlin-Lichtenberg. It is to become a "Campus for Democracy" where the history of resistance in the GDR and the Peaceful Revolution can be experienced.
Or at meetings of Polish and German activists, whom I bring together during my tours on the Oder.
