Manifesto
European construction is languishing. People do not feel connected to the ideals that led to our present achievements. Current leaders seem incapable of guiding us through these hard times and implementing bold strategies for our future.
At the same time, a whole generation that feels excluded from the political discourse is on the march. Young citizens all over Europe are protesting because their future is at stake: they have ideas and want to participate in the political debate. But they are not taken seriously.
Until a few years ago, young people focused on their private lives, careers and future success.
Today, with the world changing unexpectedly fast and threatening to transform our social and economic system, a return to public life is crucial.
We do not want to accept all this passively. We feel it is time to go back to politics and challenge ourselves with the obligation to make proposals and think about a different Europe. This is why we have decided to create The Strasbourger.
Why The Strasbourger? We see in this name the embodiment of both idealism and everything that is wrong about Europe. It is a symbol of historical reconciliation and European integration. And yet, by always referring to this symbolic city which is no longer symbolic, Europe betrays its tendency to look backwards instead of forwards.
Europe today is an anachronism, the result of a blueprint that dates back to the 1950s. The current generation in charge thought it could get away by just “executing”: but daily administration does not work in times of crisis and it does not create the basis for any future. The world is changing and there is a need for a new European perspective, where political debate starts to cross the borders. One thing is for sure: just referring to the horrors of WW2 is not enough to convince our generation of the necessity for further integration.
Strasbourg is thus illustrative for the current European story. With 27 member states, the European Union no longer fits the tale about pacifying the Franco-German relationship. Therefore, Strasbourg is a relic that we should cherish. But on that relic a new story needs to be told.
The Strasbourger will be a platform without a hierarchy: every author will own his content and will be free to choose his topic and to mark his position. The purpose is to trigger debates. Because the media is omnipresent and chaotic, reflexions and exchanges of constructive ideas have lost their purpose.
It’s time to go back to what was once called politics.
