DiEM25: Six Years On
In February 2016, a group of activists, thinkers, and agitators gathered together in Berlin’s Volksbühne theatre and vowed to shake Europe. Nothing had been scripted — it was a simple, beautiful idea that brought together people from all corners of the continent.
Six years on, our movement boasts more than 130,000 members and 190 Spontaneous Collectives (DSCs) worldwide. This year, the main adjectives our members used to describe us are ‘hopeful’, ‘necessary’, ‘innovative’ and ‘democratic’. And despite the pandemic we had 19,000 new members.
The pandemic has shed a renewed light on the core issues plaguing Europe: draconian austerity measures, socialism for the rich and capitalism for the many, and a lack of political vision that can actually tackle the pressing social, economic, health and environmental crises we are facing, combined with a deadly democratic deficit — one which we predicted may indeed cost Europe its Union before the year 2025.
DiEM25’s international groups and local collectives are continuing to tackle important issues and campaign on the ground to address Europe’s crisis of democracy. Our many members have engaged in campaigns across Europe; such as the Green New Deal for Europe or Rentvolution!, tackling housing insecurity.
Many doubt us. The establishment fears us. But in the course of five years, we have shown that the people of Europe, and beyond, can come together to forge a meaningful future — one which sees a just and sustainable transition take place in Europe, which acknowledges the plight of refugees and migrants, which approaches international policy with solidarity, and so much more.
The struggle for democracy is more important than ever as we build together the World After Coronavirus!
Timeline
December
DiEM25 condemns arrest of Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez
Yanis Varoufakis, Noam Chomsky and Ann Pettifor on a green future beyond capitalism
DiEM25 launches new political party in Germany: MERA25 — with Julijana Zita and Yanis Varoufakis
Julian’s extradition marks a dark day for British justice
DiEM TV Christmas Special feat. Noam Chomsky, Yanis Varoufakis, No Tech for Apartheid and much more!
A new day in Chile: DiEM25 congratulates Gabriel Boric and the Chilean people on a historic victory
End of year (2021) message from Yanis Varoufakis
November
More than 100 actors, musicians and authors sign statement against Israel’s attack on Palestinian organisations
Help DiEM25 and mέta help you fight Zuckerberg and his dystopic Meta
Remembering Rosemary Bechler: “What a wonderful life it is!”
Launch of #BlackFriday #MakeAmazonPay campaign
DiEM25 supports the #NoTechForApartheid campaign
October
DiEM25 members in Turkey gather in Bolu to organise activities for the coming months
Announcement of COP OFF: DiEM25’s Alternative Climate Conference
Announcement of MERA25 party launch: ‚A New, Rebellious Left for Germany, with Yanis Varoufakis and Julijana Zita
Campaign Accelerator programme candidacies open
MERA25 MP brutally assaulted by riot police during peaceful demonstration
Varoufakis on Merkel: What he said and how Bild distorted it
September
Assessment of policy programmes of German political parties
DiEM25 calls for a peace-centric international policy from the EU and a halt to its blind support for US-led belligerence globally.
August
Statement on wildfires in Greece
New Coordinating Collective begins mandate
July
Opening of candidacies for DiEM25’s Coordinating Collective
100+ artists and thinkers sign open letter in support of Brussels’ hunger strikers
DiEM25 local groups took to the streets on July 3 to demand Assange’s freedom
June
ΜERΑ25 Congress: A Celebration of Democracy
DiEM25 members vote for the movement’s official position on Israel-Palestine
“Anything to Say” art exhibition inaugurated in Geneva in support of Julian Assange
DiEM25 welcomes the Zapatistas in Europe
DiEM25 takes to the streets on Julian Assange’s 50th birthday
May
Meta Launch Event: DiEM25’s Centre for Post-Capitalist Civilisation
Launch of Tell us Your Story campaign
Yanis Varoufakis interviews Omar Barghoutti, co-founder of the BDS movement
Yanis Varoufakis talks with Ilan Pappé
Debate with members about Israel-Palestine to help decide DiEM25’s official position
April
DiEM TV interview with James K. Galbraith and David Adler about the Green New Deal
Launch of ‚What Europe Must Now Do‘ — our Progressive European Policy Agenda for the 2020s
DiEM25’s Alternative Security Conference: Security for whom?
DiEM25 stands in solidarity with the working people of Albania
New DiEM Voice website
March
Launch of People’s Gatherings project
Celebration of International Women’s Day
MERA25 in Greece statement about escalation of police brutality in Greece
Green New Deal for Europe Tweetstorm to the European Parliament
Campaign Accelerator campaign to help save Portugal’s natural beauty from private interests
February
DiEM25’s Peace and International Policy Collective publishes statement on the global failure to address nuclear disarmament
DiEM25 launches second round of Campaign Accelerator
Progressive International election observer mission lands in Ecuador
DiEM25’s Tech Sovereignty Collective publishes statement on breaking the power of big tech
Premiere of Not Just Another Party documentary about our movement
First DiEM TV episode on arts and culture
Launch of online exhibition Raise Your Voice for Assange
Yanis Varoufakis writes about how capitalism has turned into techno-feudalism
Yanis Varoufakis tackles the EU Recovery Fund
2021
January
DiEM25 calls for a stop to the war in Yemen
The Progressive International received confirmation to send an observer delegation to Ecuador
DiEM25 welcomes the Zapatistas in Europe
2020
December
Launch of the People’s Gatherings
The Campaign Accelerator supports grassroots initiatives to block the construction of Yet Another Mall in Porto, anda push to stop arms companies running schools in a region in the UK
The Progressive International launches The Internationalist
Launch of the Campaign Accelerator
The Progressive International hosts The Belmarsh Tribunal
DiEM25 and the Progressive International (PI) expresses solidarity with Jeremy Corbyn
The Progressive International’s electoral delegation observes Bolivia’s democratic process and witnesses the victory of Luis Arce
The Coordinating Collective condemns the violent crackdown on widespread protests in Nigeria
DiEM25 condemns the court ruling on restricting abortions in Poland
Yanis Varoufakis testified in a Spanish court case against UC Global
The Progressive International holds its Inaugural Summit
Rentvolution! Campaign holds protests in Luxemburg and Belgium
Coordinating Collective elections
“We Are Millions” exhibition in support of Julian Assange opens in Leipzig
MeRA25’s new statutes are voted through by DiEM25 members
DiEM25’s local collective from Dublin releases an open letter to IT staff during the Facebook walkouts
DiEM25 supports the Green-Left Coalition in the Croatian elections
DiEM TV launches series with Yanis Varoufakis: ‘Another Now’
All-Member Votes for the implementation of DiEM25 2.0
Launch of the Progressive International
Completed the first season of “Beyond the Balcony”
Issued a response to Merkel and Macron’s ‘common fund’
Launch of “Beyond the Balcony: Organising for European Solidarity” series of online discussions
Launch of MeRA TV
Launch of the grassroots programme “DiEM25 TV goes local!” and it’s sister programme in Germany focusing on the Green New Deal for Europe
MeRA25 MPs donate 50% of their income to support three hospitals in Greece
The 3 Point Plan proposes policy solutions for the COVID-19 Pandemic
MeRA25 condemns the brutal treatment of refugees and migrants
MeRA25 tabled a Greek response to COVID-19
DiEM25 calls for Free, Universal, Public Healthcare for all
EuroLeaks releases the audio files of Varoufakis’ Eurogroup meetings in 2015
February
DiEM25 condemns the normalisation of right-wing extremism in Germany
DiEM25 demands no extradition of Julian Assange to the United States
January
Announcement of the Technological Sovereignty Pillar, our radical proposal on how to democratise technology
Read more about the last few years!
2019
December
DiEM25 launches in Turkey
DiEM25 members vote to support The Labour Party in the UK General Election
November
More than 300 DiEM25 activists gather in Prague to define DiEM25’s strategy to take on the EU Establishment
August
Launch of “We Are Millions” exhibition in support of Julian Assange
July
Nine MPs from MeRA25 enter the Greek Parliament
May
The European Spring gathers more than 1.4 million votes across Europe in the European elections
2018
February
DiEM25 members across Europe overwhelmingly voted in favour of launching MeRA25
July
Announced the European Spring Green New Deal policy programme
September
DiEM25 Academy brings together over 100 activists from across Europe
November
DiEM25 teams up with The Sanders Institute to work on the Progressive International
December
DiEM25’s local collective from North Staffordshire launch “Take a break from Brexit” campaign
January
European Spring Council approved the final draft of the New Deal for Europe programme
2017
February
Announced DiEM25’s first political party in Greece, MeRA25
January
DiEM25 starts bid to build a transnational political party to compete in the European Elections
December
Launch of a campaign for the Bundestag to “Go European”, outlining 13 concrete demands for the German parliament
November
Activated the electoral wings after an all-members vote to bring our European New Deal to ballots across the Union
March
Presented our European New Deal, our proposal for saving Europe from itself
2016
December
DiEM25 amasses 40,000 members in 56 countries
November
Drew up our first Validating Council, a team to vote on behalf of members whenever a decision has to be made very quickly
Held a membership-wide vote to decide our position on the UK’s Brexit process
October
Announced the Coordinating Collective and Advisory Panel
September
Embarked on a major collaborative process to build our Progressive Agenda for Europe, our antidote to the EU’s ‘There Is No Alternative’
Voted in our Organising Principles, after a wide-ranging democratic process to develop them
Unveiled our newly-developed online voting platform, to give a voice to every DiEM25 member
June
Joined the global call to free Julian Assange, on the fourth anniversary of his political asylum
March
Launch of “Transparency in Europe Now” campaign calling for EU institutions to open their decision-making processes
February
Published our manifesto for democratising Europe, in 19 languages
Launched our movement at the historic Volksbühne theatre in Berlin to a crowd of 1,200
Electoral Politics: MeRA25 and our other parties in Europe
Following an All Member Vote in March 2018, DiEM25 decided to establish an electoral wing in Greece. Thus, MeRA25 was created upon the three pillars of European Internationalism, Economic Rationalism and Social Liberation. In the general election that took place only 16 months later, the party entered parliament with 9 MPs. Ever since, it has left a distinctive mark on Greek politics in more ways than one. With more female than male MPs and part of its Central Committee selected by sortition, MeRA25 is in a league of its own among Greek parties in terms of gender equality and internal democracy. MeRA25 is the only party openly acknowledging that the national debt is unsustainable and that recovering economic sovereignty by objecting to Brussels-imposed austerity is a sine qua non for Greece’s economic recovery. It has tabled and their bold actions to concrete, immediately applicable proposals to that effect. Informed by its participation in DiEM25 and the Progressive International, MeRA25 has practiced national politics with a broad perspective, with Europeanism and Internationalism at heart. This year, we celebrated the first full year in parliament! Our electoral wings in Italy, France and Germany are preparing their own entrance into electoral politics.
Green New Deal for Europe
Green New Deal for Europe is DiEM25’s campaign for a swift, just, and democratic transition to a sustainable Europe. In the previous years we’ve written a comprehensive and analytical policy for the Green New Deal for Europe called A Blueprint for Europe’s Just Transition. It has been presented to the broader public as the radical and only workers-friendly solution for the critical period. In 2021, the GNDE will build on our grassroots activism to focus on local issues with the fight in the parliaments across Europe, we can build a better future for humans, animals and the Earth itself. In 2021, we are combining different means, ranging from civil disobedience to engaging in electoral politics, in order to confront the climate, environmental and social crisis.
The Progressive International
The Progressive International, co-founded by DiEM25, launched in May 2020. This global initiative has already begun uniting progressive struggles across the world by supporting workers’ strikes, observing elections, and connecting progressive activists, politicians and thinkers from around the world. In just seven months, the coalition has grown to include unions, parties, and movements representing millions of people around the world. In its first couple of months, the PI has already: mobilised members to protect democratic institutions in Ecuador, dispatched a delegation of parliamentarians from around the world to observe Bolivia’s first election since the coup of November 2019, and campaigned with Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and representatives around the world for total debt forgiveness and an emergency injection of finances to the Global South.
People’s Gatherings
DiEM25 has been forged through many gatherings between Europeans who felt galvanised by the mission to democratise Europe. Throughout the movement’s history, DiEM25 members have met up across Europe to discuss, debate, campaign and more! This year, we launched the People’s Gatherings to reach even further to the many communities of Europe and work together with our grassroots members in building Political Programmes for each country.
EuroLeaks
During 2015 Yanis Varoufakis participated in thirteen Eurogroup meetings. After the first three Eurogroup meetings it became clear that no minutes were being taken! This kind of intransparent action by an unelected group of politicians who influence our lives is unacceptable. That is why DiEM25 released the recordings of the meetings of the Eurogroup from 2015. The leaked recordings were accompanied by thorough transcriptions and made available on our site.
Pandemic initiatives: Campaign Accelerator, DiEM TV, DiEM Voice and more!
DiEM25 has used our time in intermittent quarantines throughout 2020 — and now 2021 — to not only create radical policies to tackle the pandemic and its socioeconomic impact, but also to develop interesting projects to understand the times we live in. DiEM25 developed a 3-Point Plan for dealing with COVID-19 depression, as well as a Vaccine Policy Proposal. DiEM TV emerged as a radically hopeful and constructive Television programme, bringing the voices of public figures such as Shoshana Zuboff and Noam Chomsky to the public on YouTube — reaching over 2 million viewers. We also launched the Campaign Accelerator — a new project where we support individual DiEM25 members to design and run targeted campaigns on local issues they feel strongly about. DiEM Voice is now launching in 2021 as our art and culture platform, set to open up new spaces and ways through which to think the world anew.