On 9 February, the Volksbühne Theatre in Berlin will host the launch of a Pan-European movement with a simple, radical purpose: To democratise Europe! The movement will be launched by Yanis Varoufakis, Greece’s ex-finance minister.
DiEM’s purpose is to act as a bridge bringing together the movements that flourished before 2015 together with Europeans who were awakened in 2015 (e.g. by the Athens Spring) and who now see that the EU will either be democratised or it will disintegrate (with frightful repercussions for Europeans and for the world at large).
DiEM’s aim is to provide existing movements and the new forces of progressive change with the ‘infrastructure’ necessary to build up the pan-European horizontal organisation necessary so that it becomes much, much more than the sum of its parts.
— Please find the more comprehensive programme (pdf) on the right —
Official website: http://diem25.org
See also: www.volksbuehne-berlin.de/praxis/en/diem_25
Programme
10.00-11.00: PRESS CONFERENCE
11.00-13.00: Session 1 – OUR FRAGMENTING EUROPE & DiEM’s RESPONSE
Re-conceptualising the centrifugal forces, and multiplying divisions, tearing the EU apart: Refugees, Borders (Schengen, fences, fortress Europe, Frontex), Inequality-Poverty, Chauvinism, Nationalism, Insecurity
Introduction & Moderation: Srećko Horvat
Auer Borea Gertraud (Bruno Kreisky Forum, Austria)
Baier Walter (transform! Network, Austria)
Demh Dieter (MP, Germany)
Fassin Eric (Academic, France)
Luis Martin (Journalist, Spain)
Negri Tony (Public Intellectual-Activist, Italy)
Papastergiadis Nikos (Academic, Australia-Greece)
Pisarello Gerardo (First Deputy Mayor, City of Barcelona, Cataluña)
Salmon Christian (Author, France)
Tsomou Margarita (Author-Journalist, Germany)
Ventura Christophe (Author-Activist, France)
14.00-16.00: Session 2 – DiEM’s ECONOMIC ANALYSIS & POLICY FRAMEWORK
The session will discuss the process by which DiEM’s policy proposals will transpire. Emphasis will be placed on
- investment-led recovery
- green technologies
- combating the culture of opacity and corporate take-over promoted by the TTiP rounds
- public and private debt within and without the Eurozone
- an EU-wide anti-poverty campaign
- the institutional framework necessary to achieve these objectives.
Introduction & Moderation: Stuart Holland
Allegretti Giovanni (Author-Activist, Italy)
Augusto Jordi (Economist, Cataluña)
Ayala Jordi (Head of Finance Department, City of Barcelona, Cataluña)
Bayou Julien (Green Party MP, France)
Fehrer Michel (Academic-Publisher, France)
McDonnell John (MP and Shadow Chancellor, UK)
McWilliams David (Kilkenomics founder, Ireland)
Nordqvist Rasmus (The Alternative, Denmark)
O’Toole Fintan (Author-Journalist, Ireland)
Urban Hans-Jürgen (IG Metall, Germany)
Varoufakis Yanis (DiEM, Greece)
16.00-18.00: Session 3 – What should we (DiEM) do?
Session 3 will pose this question: How can we make this work? What should DiEM do?
Introduction & Moderation: Anthony Barnett and Mary Fitzgerald (opendemocracy, UK)
Celakoski Teodor & Horvat Vedran (Right to the City Movement, Croatia)
Lovink Geert (Academic, The Netherlands)
Malamatinas John (Blockupy, Germany)
Marsili Lorenzo (European Alternatives, Italy)
Mesec Luka (Activist, Slovenia)
Meyer Judith (Activistm, Germany)
Mezzadra Sandro (Euronomade, Italy)
Misik Robert (Academic, Austria)
Nedeljkovic Nikola (The Alternative, Denmark)
Negri Toni (Public Intellectual-Activist, Italy)
Ventura Christophe (Activist, France)
20.30-22.00: THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH of Democracy in Europe Movement 2025