“Open the doors for Ukraine!”: It was one of the quickest decisions we have ever taken: On 04.04.2022, we launched a campaign in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, for Ukraine’s admission to the EU. Its president, Volodymir Selenskyj, had applied for this admission five weeks earlier.
This accession request will accelerate the long overdue answer to the most important of all European questions: What will the European Union of the future look like?
Our prediction: In a world in which democracies are getting under heavy pressure (Bertelsmann Foundation 2022), the EU will become the gathering place and protective umbrella of European democracies. But this also means: it must not deny membership to countries that credibly profess democracy and want to join it. This is the case with Ukraine. Perhaps not all of these democracies will long for maximum integration? No problem: Let’s strive for a ‘two-speed Europe’.
During our visit to Chernivtsi, the mayor of the city, Roman Klichuk, welcomed us for a talk. “We”, that was the Berlin pastor Ermano Meichsner, who had spontaneously expressed his enthusiasm for this action, and Jens Baganz, the co-chairman of our association. Afterwards, we spoke to passers-by in Kobylyans’koi Street and explained our cause. The interest of the media was great, as was the enthusiasm of the people who rushed to our 6 by 1.5 m banner to sign it and write their wishes there.
We will continue this campaign “EU, open the doors for Ukraine. Now!” in other cities of Ukraine. We will present the signed banners at rallies in Western European cities as authentic evidence of the great desire of Ukrainians: We want to become citizens of the Union!