We are Europe

23.06.2023: Rhineland March for the Freedom of Ukraine!

Jens Baganz — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:16:40 +0000

In many cities across Europe, people are demonstrating to show their support for Ukraine again and again – a strong and important message! We asked ourselves: can we increase the impact of these demonstrations, for example by holding them in several cities on the same day, and, thus, see the first Rhineland March for the freedom of Ukraine take place? The answer was: yes, we can! And so the Osteuropaforum in Bonn, the Blau-Gelbe Kreuz in Cologne and We are Europe in Düsseldorf joined forces to take to the streets for Ukraine. On 23 June 2023, the time had come: Exactly at 7 p.m., people stepped onto the Kennedy Bridge in Bonn, the Deutz Bridge in Cologne and the Oberkassel Bridge in Düsseldorf to meet in the middle of these bridges and demonstrate their solidarity with Ukraine. On the eastern bank, the Ukrainian participants had started, on the western bank all other European participants. Seeing how these two groups merged in the middle of the bridges, how European flags of all nations flew in the wind and music from all over Europe sounded was one of the unforgettable moments of this day!

Der Beitrag 23.06.2023: Rhineland March for the Freedom of Ukraine! erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

23.06.2023: The Rhineland for Ukraine – See the Video!

Jens Baganz — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 08:39:14 +0000

Click on the pic – and get some stunning impressions from Cologne, Bonn and Düsseldorf united in their support for the freedom of Ukraine!

Der Beitrag 23.06.2023: The Rhineland for Ukraine – See the Video! erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

18.01.2023: Multinational Leopard Petition Launched

Jens Baganz — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 12:56:42 +0000

NGOs and initiatives from five European countries – France, the Netherlands, Lithuania, the United Kingdom and Germany – sent an identical multinational Leopard petition to their national parliaments on 18 January 2023, calling on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to finally approve the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Excerpts from the petition:

The war in Ukraine rages without mercy. The suffering is boundless. UNICEF tells us: Since February 2022, 1,148 children have been killed or injured while millions have fled, been uprooted from their homes, separated from their families or put at risk of violence. Others will freeze to death. And there is no end in sight. …

We, in our capacity as European citizens, no longer want to stand idly by and watch this state terror raging in our common European home. … That is why we say:

It is time to put an end to this war.

It is time to realise that defence against missiles, drones and cruise missiles helps Ukraine, but the most important task now is to drive the Russian army off Ukrainian soil once and for all.

It is time to understand that this cannot be done without the use of modern Western battle tanks like the “Leopard”.

For these reasons, citizens from France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom are today submitting a joint petition to their respective national parliaments, calling on them to make the following appeal to the German Federal Government by way of a resolution:

Save the lives of innocent children, women and men!

Shorten the war!

Approve the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine!

According to many experts, only such tanks offer a viable path to expel the Russian army from Ukrainian soil.

These are the organisations and initiatives that submitted the petition to their respective national parliaments: Stand with Ukraine (France), OpenDoorUkraine.NL (Netherlands), UK4UA (United Kingdom), Praeities žvalgas / Šarūnas Jasiukevičius (Lithuania) und We are Europe (Germany).

“We are very grateful to all the organisations involved that this five-country multinational Leopard petition has come about,” said We are Europe Chair Jens Baganz. “It is the first synchronous multinational petition in Europe. It shows that the responsibility of European citizens no longer ends at their own national borders. Situations can arise where we all have to criticise or admonish a government together. And that is exactly the case with the German government at the moment.”

As soon as the five petitions have been released for signing, we will inform you here.

Der Beitrag 18.01.2023: Multinational Leopard Petition Launched erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

01/09/2022: “If Ukraine had relied on the EU, it would no longer exist as a state.”

Jens Baganz — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 15:46:14 +0000

“Send Marder and Leopard tanks to Ukraine”: This was plain language on the topic of “Ukraine and the EU” by Prof. Sönke Neitzel in his video chat with us on 01/09/2022. Here is what he said:

The EU has outsourced its security policy to the USA. It is content with a role as an “auxiliary” of the USA and remains militarily weak itself, which reminds him of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation, both of which were not up to the challenges of their time. Without US military support, Ukraine would have ceased to exist as a state. He was pessimistic that this would change in the foreseeable future. Germany itself refrains from playing a leadership role and keeps a low profile.

What would Neitzel do if he were Federal Chancellor?

First, talk to the Defence Industry and ask: What can you supply? Then send the refurbished Marder and Leopard tanks to Ukraine. Secondly, have a ‘master plan for ammunition’ drawn up and tell the ammunition factories in Germany to ramp up ammunition production. Thirdly, arrange with President Selensky for Germany to sponsor a division and equip it.

Neitzel’s description of the situation of European security and armament policy is shocking. A current example: The FCAS (Future Combat Air System), a joint fighter aircraft project of France and Germany, is “on the brink of failure”.

Neitzel’s description of Europe’s situation leads directly to a question: Are 440 million Europeans really unwilling and unable to stop the decline of their continent together?

By Sönke Neitzel’s lecture, we are proud of continuing our previous activities on Ukraine.

Der Beitrag 01/09/2022: “If Ukraine had relied on the EU, it would no longer exist as a state.” erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

19/06/2022: Duesseldorf March of Sympathy for the EU Accession of Ukraine

Jens Baganz — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 14:33:00 +0000

Europe’s development is usually agonisingly slow. But this year is different. On 24 February 2022, Vladimir Putin’s Russia invades Ukraine and starts a beastly war against the alleged “brother nation”. Four days later, Ukraine applies to join the European Union. And only 120 days later, the European Council actually decides: Ukraine and Moldova are candidates to join the EU! Who would have ever thought that the ever-maligned EU would one day become a lifeboat for European neighbours in need. Some may see this as a burden – in reality it is evidence of the high attractiveness of this Union.

We from We are Europe showed early in March on what we thought was right. Together with our friends from Pulse of Europe Düsseldorf, we now invited people to the “Duesseldorf March of Sympathy for the EU Accession of Ukraine” on 19 June 2022. 150 Ukrainians accepted our invitation and symbolically walked across the Oberkassel Bridge towards the west, where we received and welcomed them. “We” – that was also Düsseldorf’s Lord Mayor Dr Stephan Keller and the Ukrainian Consul General Iryna Shum.

We will closely follow the admission procedure for the two countries and will not forget Georgia, which has also applied for admission.

Der Beitrag 19/06/2022: Duesseldorf March of Sympathy for the EU Accession of Ukraine erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

04/04/2022: “EU, open the doors for Ukraine. Now!”

Jens Baganz — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 15:14:38 +0000

“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!

Der Beitrag 04/04/2022: “EU, open the doors for Ukraine. Now!” erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

06/03/2022: “Ukraine deserves to be in the EU!”

Jens Baganz — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 15:35:38 +0000

Ukraine deserves to be in the EU! The war against his country was four days old when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj submitted his country’s application for EU membership. And thus made clear from the start what his compatriots were fighting for: to belong to the European family! “Ukraine into the EU – Defend Europe’s Freedom!” was therefore the motto of the rally we organised together with Pulse of Europe and the Young European Federalists on 06 March 2022 on Düsseldorf’s Burgplatz. 1500 participants followed the speeches of the Mayor of Düsseldorf Stephan Keller, the Ukrainian Consul General Iryna Shum, the MEPs Moritz Körner (FDP) and Alexandra Geese (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and of course many representatives of Ukrainian associations. We are Europe! Chair Jens Baganz warned:

Ukraine deserves to be in the EU! Let’s not leave Ukraine’s application for membership to the Brussels bureaucrats – that takes years! Let’s think about what we can already give the Ukrainians today! They need our support now!

The contribution of the association “Free Russia NRW” was also followed with special attention. Its chairman Yuri Nikitin left no doubt that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a serious crime. This crime will also have devastating consequences for the future of Russia itself.

“Stop the war”, “Hands off Ukraine!”, “F*ck Putin!”, “Putin = Hitler” – many placards testified to the unbridled anger of the demonstrators that such a war is being waged again in Europe in the 21st century.

The rally was the first joint event of the three large Düsseldorf pro-Europe organisations, which have been intensively discussing for several months how to join forces in their future work.

Der Beitrag 06/03/2022: “Ukraine deserves to be in the EU!” erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

06.03.2022: “Die Ukraine gehört in die EU!”

Jens Baganz — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 15:35:38 +0000

Der Krieg gegen sein Land war vier Tage alt, als der ukrainische Präsident Wolodymyr Selenskyj einen Aufnahmeantrag seines Landes an die EU richtete. Und damit von Anfang an klarmachte, wofür seine Landsleute kämpfen: für die Zugehörigkeit zur europäischen Familie! “Ukraine in die EU – Europas Freiheit verteidigen!” lautete daher das Motto der Kundgebung, die wir gemeinsam mit Pulse of Europe und den Jungen Europäischen Föderalisten am 06. März 2022 auf dem Düsseldorfer Burgplatz organisiert haben. 1500 Teilnehmer folgten den Reden des Düsseldorfer Oberbürgermeisters Stephan Keller, der ukrainischen Generalkonsulin Iryna Shum, der Europaabgeordneten Moritz Körner (FDP) und Alexandra Geese (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) und natürlich auch vieler Vertreter ukrainischer Vereine. We are Europe! Vorsitzender Jens Baganz warnte:

Die Ukraine gehört in die EU! Überlassen wir den Aufnahmeantrag der Ukraine nicht den Brüsseler Bürokraten – das dauert Jahre! Denken wir darüber nach, was wir den Ukrainern schon heute geben können! Sie brauchen jetzt unseren Beistand!

Mit besonderer Aufmerksamkeit wurde auch der Beitrag des Vereins “Freies Russland NRW” verfolgt. Sein Vorsitzender Yuri Nikitin ließ keinen Zweifel daran, dass der Überfall Russlands auf die Ukraine ein schweres Verbrechen ist. Dieses Verbrechen werde auch für die Zukunft Russlands selbst verheerende Folgen haben.

“Stoppt den Krieg”, “Hands off Ukraine!”, “F*ck Putin!”, “Finger weg von der Ukraine!”, “Putin = Hitler” – viele Plakate zeugten von der unbändigen Wut der Demonstranten, dass ein solcher Krieg in Europa im 21. Jahrhundert noch einmal geführt wird.

Die Kundgebung war die erste gemeinsame Veranstaltung der drei großen Düsseldorfer Pro-Europa-Organisationen, die seit einigen Monaten intensiv darüber beraten, wie sie ihre Kräfte bei der zukünftigen Arbeit bündeln können.

Der Beitrag 06.03.2022: “Die Ukraine gehört in die EU!” erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

03.03.2022: Georgien beantragt EU-Aufnahme

Jens Baganz — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:11:30 +0000

Georgiens Premierminister Irakli Garibashvili hat am Donnerstag, den 03. März 2022, den Antrag auf Aufnahme seines Landes als EU-Mitglied unterzeichnet. Damit ist Georgien – nach Estland, Lettland, Litauen und der Ukraine – die fünfte von einstmals 15 Unionsrepubliken der 1991 untergegangenen Sowjetunion, die eine EU-Mitgliedschaft wünscht. Der Premierminister sagte:

Der Antrag auf EU-Mitgliedschaft ist ein weiterer Meilenstein auf dem Weg der europäischen Integration Georgiens – es ist eine Etappe, die eine neue Seite in unserer Geschichte aufschlägt und die Bemühungen unserer Vorfahren fortsetzt, die auf den Beitritt Georgiens zu einer gemeinsamen europäischen Familie abzielen.

Der Beitrag 03.03.2022: Georgien beantragt EU-Aufnahme erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.

03.03.2022: Georgia Applies for EU Membership

Jens Baganz — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 16:11:30 +0000

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili signed the application for his country to become an EU member on Thursday, 03 March 2022. This makes Georgia – after Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine – the fifth of once 15 Union republics of the Soviet Union that perished in 1991 to seek EU membership. The Prime Minister said:

Application for EU Membership is yet another milestone on the path of European integration of Georgia – it is a stage, which turns a new page in our history and continues the effort of our ancestors, which is aimed at the accession of Georgia into a common European family.

Der Beitrag 03.03.2022: Georgia Applies for EU Membership erschien zuerst auf We are Europe.