Beyond the Wahl-O-Mat: We Answer Your Questions
Thank you very much for the many questions you sent us and your great interest! Here are the answers! Further questions can be sent to [email protected] anytime.
General questions about MERA25
- How were you founded?
MERA25 Germany was founded in 2021 as the electoral wing of the pan-European movement Democracy in Europe 2025 (DiEM25). DiEM25 was founded in 2016 by, among others, the former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis in response to the EU’s austerity policy.
- How did you decide on your candidates?
Candidates endorsed by at least five MERA25 members submitted their candidacy in writing and with a video message. The election first took place online in an all-member vote (all DiEM25 members worldwide voted). The list was then confirmed and elected in the same order at the MERA25 party congress in Düsseldorf.
- What makes MERA25 unique?
Our transnational organisational structure. Fundamental decisions are made by all members of our European movement together through online voting. We connect social struggles across borders and run with a coherent, uniform programmatic approach in elections. Some of our most central demands and positions are scarcely or not at all raised or shared by other parties and political actors, e.g., the job guarantee, the universal basic income, the Green New Deal for Europe, the democratization of the ECB, and not least the recognition of the state of Palestine as one step towards a one-state solution (an inclusive, democratic, secular state) for the Middle East conflict (details here).
- Does MERA25 identify as ‘Social Democratic’ or ‘Socialist’?
No. MERA25 is a left-progressive party, whose members come from a broad political spectrum. Therefore, we consciously do not use a designation that goes beyond left and progressive. In terms of our goals and program content, socialist is quite a suitable classification in distinction from liberalism and conservatism. However, we reject any form of authoritarian understanding of power.
- What is your relationship with Marxism-Leninism?
MERA25 is not a theory-based party; we develop our program with active members who come from diverse left traditions. Analyses and positions refer to current issues that we coordinate with the European movement DiEM25. Moreover, due to the historical understanding of the term as the state doctrine of the Soviet Union, which we do not pursue as a goal, we do not describe ourselves as Marxist-Leninist.
- What are your most important issues?
Our programme for the European election:
- Freedom for Palestine, peaceful international relations in a non-aligned Europe
- Green transformation paid for by the super-rich
- Human rights and freedom of movement, abolition of Frontex/GEAS
- Financial independence for all, universal basic income, four-day work week, better wages
You can find more information here.
- What is your focus, parliament or grassroots work (unions, neighborhoods, etc.)?
Grassroots work with local groups and collaboration with initiatives and social movements are our priorities. If MERA25 enters the European Parliament – or in the future other parliaments in Germany – parliamentary work will naturally gain in importance, but our focus on grassroots work will remain.
- MERA25 is in Greece, Germany, Italy, and France. How are they related? Not in votes.
There are currently MERA25 parties in Germany, Greece, Italy, and Sweden. The parties are electoral wings of the European DiEM25 movement. Generally, we share the values and principles of DiEM25, which are developed by its members – including, but not limited to, the members of MERA25. Beyond a coordinated program, each party sets its own priorities based on the pressing issues in their countries.
- Do you have candidates in the cities Karlsruhe and Mannheim?
Yes, you can find the list of our candidates here. Konstantinos Tselios (Mannheim) and Grigoris Koutsogkilas (Stuttgart) are in Baden-Württemberg.
- Why should I vote for you?
You should vote for us if you identify with our political agenda and want to ensure that established parties and politicians are no longer able to cover up their irresponsibility and corrupt practices. We will constructively contribute but also significantly challenge them in the interest of the many. The European Parliament will be our stage for this.
- What speaks against voting for you?
If you do not agree with our demands and our program at all, that would be a reason not to vote for us.
- What is the difference between you and Die Linke?
“Die Linke” is a historically grown national party in Germany that has many merits and successes but has increasingly lost influence and political significance in recent years due to its own mistakes and internal grievances. It has not managed to integrate various progressive left-wing currents in the long term and align them towards a common, emancipatory, and socially transformative project, especially concerning broad sections of the population.
MERA25 is a young party with a movement approach and a transnational orientation and structure. We don’t just talk about internationalist principles and the concept of transnational organization; we put them into practice. Unlike the loose coalition of European left-wing parties, we conduct our election campaigns with uniform values and a coherent program that is more consistent and innovative in many respects, such as our stance on the genocide in Gaza or in the area of financial policy.
Vision for the Future
- Do you promise that your voice for justice will be as loud after the election as it is now before the election?
Yes. Such promises can naturally appear frivolous, but we confirm it with conviction. A European election, no matter how it turns out for us, does not go hand in hand with government or coalition compromises, and there is generally no reason to deviate from our demands or to become quieter.
MERA25 is committed to maintaining a clear and unequivocal stance on justice, transparency and accountability and to continuing our fight against the lack of democracy and the domination of corporate and oligarchic interests in Europe. This commitment is based on our core principles and our understanding of ‘radical’ change, not as extremism, but as tackling systemic problems at their roots, inspired by figures such as Angela Davis. Our dedication to representing the many rather than the few will continue regardless of the outcome of the elections, without compromising our fundamental values and goals.
- Will you join a faction in the EU Parliament?
If MERA25 enters the European Parliament, there will be a member vote on whether we will join the faction of the European Left GUE/NGL. Other current factions are not an option for us. Independence and non-affiliation are always options for us.
- Do you also plan to run in the federal and state elections, etc.?
Yes, that is our goal. Just like for the European elections, we will need a set number of support signatures from eligible voters to be able to run.
- Will you also participate in the municipal elections in Saxony?
No, unfortunately, we are not participating in the municipal elections in Saxony on June 9, 2024. We are working to participate in future elections.
- “United Europe”? Why do you want a European federal union? Is that right?
We are in favour of a decentralisation of power in the EU, but this power should not return to national sovereignty, but to a transnational union that extends across the European continent and beyond. This union, open to all interested states, should take the form of a European Republic and be based on active democratic institutions. The regulatory framework should no longer be the nation states, but regions and cities. A constituent assembly should draw up and adopt a new social contract for the establishment of the European Republic.
- Do you have any plans to expand into more EU countries after this election cycle?
There are currently initiatives in various EU countries to establish a MERA25 party. However, this is happening in the respective countries themselves. As MERA25 Germany, we support European comrades in their endeavours as best we can.
Social policy
- What is your position on prostitution? Also regarding the Nordic model…
We want to destigmatize voluntary sex work. We support the bodily self-determination of women*. That’s why we want to destigmatize voluntary sex work and the provision of sexual services by reforming the Prostitution Protection Act. We want to do more to combat violence, forced prostitution and human trafficking. We want to grant victims of human trafficking an unrestricted right to stay and expand access to crown witness/leniency programmes and witness protection.
There are different voices within MERA25, with some supporting the Nordic model and others opposing it. This topic is up for an upcoming vote by members after the elections and is still being actively discussed
- Are you in favour of a speed limit?
Yes, Germany is the only European country that does not prescribe a speed limit on motorways. A speed limit reduces CO2 emissions, which has positive effects on health and the environment, and makes the roads safer overall.
- Are you actually believers of the 4 day work week? Do you have plans for that?
One key issue of our election programme is financial independence, which also includes a dignified working life for all with the introduction of a four-day week. The demand is not unrealistic, as one of our Board members has described here.
- What approaches do you take with regard to education policy?
Education should help promote a humanist and internationalist perspective. It is a central task of society. School is an important institution of education. We want to address and research the interactions between society and education as a whole and constantly develop them in a contemporary way. We want to establish and maintain extracurricular places of learning: Swimming pools, libraries and clubs, for example, are essential. (Municipal) infrastructure and education are closely intertwined. Expanding the former means promoting the latter. Specifically, we want to expand integrated comprehensive schools and all-day care, promote inclusion, overcome educational federalism and make educational content more global (i.e. less Eurocentric). You can find more information in our policy programme from page 127 onwards.
Foreign Policy
- What is your position on sanctions against belligerent countries such as Russia and Israel?
We unequivocally condemn both Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. We join DiEM25’s call on 18 October 2023 for the EU to immediately impose sanctions against the Israeli government. We also support sanctions against Russian oligarchs, politicians and entities that are fuelling or financially benefiting from the attack on Ukraine.
- What is your position on Assad’s regime in Syria?
Our principled stance against imperialism and militarism is the basis for a clear condemnation of all the human rights violations committed by the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. No matter where dictators or authoritarian regimes oppress the population of a country, we are on the side of the people, who must freely and independently determine their own political future.
- What will you do to end the EU (mis)treatment of the Congo?
The green transition to renewable energy in Europe must not come at the expense of the Congolese people and their country. It is the EU’s responsibility to make a radical shift to a more sustainable system that respects human rights and benefits the Congolese people. The EU must stop funding the Rwandan military, which is accused of committing war crimes in Congolese territories together with the M23. Transnational corporations must take immediate action to prevent exploitation and human rights violations through extractive industries. This must also include compensation and reparation for the victims.
- What is your stance on the Ukraine-Russia war?
The outbreak of war has several causes. It is most likely due to domestic and power political considerations in Russia’s Putinist system as well as geopolitical tensions and a clashing hegemonic ambition of Russia and “the West” (EU/USA/NATO) in Eastern Europe. After more than two years of fighting (not counting the fighting since 2014), the conflict has already claimed a blood toll of at least ten thousand dead Ukrainian civilians and tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides, while Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure continues to suffer damage that will be felt for decades to come. An immediate ceasefire and the start of negotiations are presumably against the interests of the military-industrial complex, but imperative for the prevention of further suffering and nuclear escalation. Our detailed position and a possible peace plan can be viewed here.
- Would you keep sending money to Ukraine’s army?
We do not believe in militarisation. Continuous armament is not a viable approach to conflict resolution and mainly serves arms manufacturers . In the case of the war in Ukraine, further weapons deliveries can only be seen as a last resort, must only include equipment necessary for defense (not offense), must be carried out in a transparent manner without enriching private corporations and must be strictly conditioned on a readiness to halt the fighting and advance on the path towards a negotiated settlement and lasting peace. First and foremost, the priority has to be an immediate ceasefire.
Environmental Policy and Animal Protection:
- What is your opinion on environmental protection and animal welfare?
We want to end factory farming because it causes great suffering to animals, depletes our soils, and pollutes groundwater. Globally, industrial livestock production is currently responsible for 18-20% of greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, we aim to promote nature-close grazing to preserve ecosystems. We want to reduce animal stocking densities and free our agriculture from its export orientation. We plan to severely restrict the live transport of farm animals to slaughterhouses and instead rely on the use of mobile slaughter units.
- What is your stance on climate, and how do you intend to reduce CO2 emissions?
We aim to establish a European Green Energy Union in cooperation with Europe’s neighboring regions, which would utilize renewable energies and sustainable technologies (solar power from the south, offshore wind farms, expanded district heating networks, and pipelines for green hydrogen) and distribute them fairly and dynamically. Our Green New Deal for Europe also offers many realistic proposals for the rapid decarbonization of public infrastructure (e.g., transportation) and the private sector, without financially burdening Europe’s residents. There are plenty of concepts available; what is missing (due to lobbying influence) is the political will to implement them.
Other:
- How can folks in Turtle Island (“North America”) support your efforts?
You have the option to become a member of DiEM25, after which you can establish a local group or become active online. On the internal DiEM25 forum, you can connect with members in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
You can either vote by mail, which you can apply for, or you can vote directly at your local polling station, which will be mentioned on your ballot. For this, you just need to bring your ID and the ballot paper. More information is available here. Yes, but we recommend that you clarify this with your university beforehand to ensure that you do not encounter any problems. You can order campaign material online here. Yes, certainly! You can find information about upcoming events on our website.