Eurosceptics, eurocritics and (more?)

For me, the definition of the typical eurosceptic, is a person who oppose any form of political, social and economic integration between European "nation-states" A person thats not willing to see any pragmatic, democratic or economical benefits from integration.
The typical eurosceptic is often found in nationalistic movements and in very romantically, conservative groups where yesterday is more important then tomorrow and institutions are more important then people. Those movements, groups and individuals are blinded by an idea of how things are, instead of how things really are. Often delusionalised that they are above everything that is surrounding their isolated perception on how things are or should be and that there is a threat in everything that is new, different or partly in opposition to their worldview.

As you see, I don't mention criticism towards EU systematics, democracy or politics in my definition at all. Why? To be critical, you must be constructive in your criticism and you must also offer constructive solutions or alternatives to what you are critical about, eurosceptics don't do that at all, according to my definition above.

If you want change and reforms to better things of state, you must search elsewhere.

Then there's the rest, fans of status qou.

EU politics in Sweden

In the 20 years that have past sense the Swedish EU referendum and Sweden became a member of the European union, a tradition have grown strong among both the major party's and in the media to keep EU politics as far away from the voters as possible.

One would think that this has to do with eurosceptisism but that's not entirely true.

Sweden is in generally a pro-European member-state but a caution member-state. You will never here ideas of great reforms come out of Sweden, but if you listen hard you will here a whisper of acceptance or most likely the very cautiously and moderate "we will wait and see". Oppose to having influence in Europe the politics and the European future.

For the same reason most Swedish political partys lack a clear policy on EU politics and even more so a vision for the future of Europe.

What's the excuse of this democratic negligence? Some could argue that it comes from a long and strong tradition of intergovernmental collaborations in Swedish "foreign" policy. Where every question is handled separately. That's true, but if that's the excuse, there is a fundamental misunderstanding about what the European Union is and should be.

The EU is a union of integration and common values that's uniting Europeans above the diversity of Europe. 

Sweden needs to question it self and its role in Europe as far as politics goes and how politics should be conducted to live up to the tradition of democracy and openness in Sweden.

Migration within the EU isn't a cost, it's a freedom

Freedom of movement is a investment for the individual and for the entire European society. It's a opportunity for people and businesses to grow and expand.
Europe must radically continue forward on the path to create more opportunities and to tear down more hurdles that limits people and businesses from being truly pan-european.
Europe must be very aware of what nationalists and some national gouverments are campaigning for when they want to take Europe back to another time and age. Europe had its walls, we don't want them back in any way or in any form.
Agree?

What lies behind the successes of right- wing populism and extremism in Europe

What lies behind the successes of right- wing populism and extremism in Europe? The financial crisis is most frequently mentioned as a reason and it is also a likely reason that i'm not in position to question. But are there more explanations and are there examples where it can be argued that the economic crisis isn't the foundation of this populistic rampage across Europe?
In the elections to the European Parliament, the member-states that stand out the most are not the ones that are hit the hardest by recession and austerity. France, Denmark and the UK are 3 of those member-states in which extremism and right-wing populism reached its greatest successes. None of these member-states are among the worst affected by the financial crisis. Denmark and the UK are additionally outside the eurozone, if one would argues that the crisis was a currency crisis. In Sweden, which is a member-state with strong finances and also a member-state outside the eurozone, the far-right populists gets its highest result ever in a public election.
Could the election result and the populist winds that are blowing in Europe be a protest against European integration it self, the EU system or systematics if you will or is it a protest against politicians in general or even a protest against the member-states national governments and their handling of the crisis in Europe? Is it the dream of a united Europe in which people stand united in solidarity that now has been partially ruptured and questioned? Could it just be a cry for help?

The trends are the same across Europe and is therefore a European problem that we must face at a European level.
It requires first and foremost that people can rally and mobilize around something that is exclusively European, like the Parliament and by the Parliament, the appointed president of the Commission. ( Provided its not stopped by EUCO. )
European problems and opportunities must be managed at the European level and with a mandate from the citizens. That is not the case in reality. What looked like it was the EU handling the crisis was actually handled by the affected nation states and their lenders. The EU has, at its best, acted as a moderator and facilitator. ( Listed in order to use the EU as a scapegoat. )
I am convinced that the crisis of confidence between the EU and the voters is the first breeding ground for the election results that we got and the crisis of confidence is rooted in the fact that EU has no mandate of its own to deal with any problem, at the same time as the EU are the perfect scapegoat for national governments.
The European council's intergovernmental negotiations behind closed doors is a hotbed for contempt against both EU and against European politicians. In the member-states, the national leaders from the European Council can emerge as the nation's representatives against opposing forces in other national leaders. When opinion at home are showing displeasure they have there scapegoat.
When voters are kept in the dark at the same time as they feel the consequences of the politics, they get confused and angry. this nourishes all extremism and Europe got its judgment in the election.
Paradoxically, the results show how integrated and depended we are by one another in Europe.

Necessary democratic reform.

The future EU shouldn't be lead by one or several member-states! Democracy and effective governance don't allow that.
Therefore, one of the most important democratic reforms that the union need is to separate the national representation in EU from the national gouverments.
To do this and to get EU democracy in order, EU need a two chamber parliament.
1) Chamber one is the pan-european parliament elected in a pan-european election. The majority elects the EU government.
2) Chamber two is the chamber for national representation ( replaces EUCO ). The members are elected in every state separately from national elections.
Except for getting accountable leaders this means that the European voters finally can get European solutions for European problems. It also means that we can kiss the scapegoat goodbye.

Take a look at this great initiative from PDU

Take a look at this great initiative from PDU 

Open letter to the members of EUCO: Respect our vote

Dear members of EUCO!
We, the European people voted for a new European parliament on 22-25 of May.
I, along with many fellow Europeans are deeply concerned over the fact that EUCO are having serious trouble with accepting the results of the election and to
let the European parliament majority nominate the next commission president.
This is a outrage and a scandal beyond party politics. It's a betrayal to every European citizen who took their responsibility for Europe and for the future of Europe and voted in the election. If EUCO won't except the results it's nothing but a betrayal against democracy and every value and purpose that our union is built on.
I strongly urge all members of EUCO to get your act together ASP... Failing to do so will mean the end for any aspiration to build a better Europe!
The people's confidence in your leadership is at stake!
Mathias Darmell

The political extreme

The political extreme and anti-EU groups don't divide Europe, they divide community's and people.

I won't rest

Fascism, rasism, populism and fundamentalism is the biggest threat to a better future for Europe.

Democracy and federalism is Europe's best hope for a better future for Europe.

I won't rest until we have a European constitution that can guarante every single European it's fundamental rights. I hope that all of us will commit do work even harder in comming years to reach that goal.

I will also commit to run for the parliament in 2019.

Don't blame me

Don't blame me. I voted!

Did you pay to vote?

If you payd money to vote in the Eurovision, I'm sorry but you must be a sucker.

I'm voting for free, in the European parliament election. My vote will last for five years and it will protect my democratic rights and it just might help Europe to go in the right direction and create new jobs for all the young Europeans struggling to get by. My vote could bring hope and inspiration to all our friends in Ukraine who are fighting for their rights and their freedom. This election is political, so it is ok to raise your voice about injustice and about your dreams.

EUs berättigande

EU har ett stort demokratiskt berättigande genom att unionen bildats på frivilliga fördrag mellan Europeiska medborgare i modern tid, baserat på gemensamma grundläggande demokratiska värderingar,  gemensamma behov och gemensamma utmaningar i den moderna världen.

Få nationalstater kan mäta sig med det. Få så kallade nationer har bildats genom ömsesidig vilja och i samförstånd utan oftast genom militärt maktspel, assimileringar och utrensningar. Väldigt få nationalstater har varit konstanta sedan de bildades. Demokratin i Europas nationalstater har i olika takt vuxit fram under dom senasta 150 åren och genom utvecklingen föddes idén om det demokratiskt enade Europa och bygget pågår fortfarande.

European democracy isn't ours to give away

Europe's democracy isn't ours to give away, it belongs to our children and grandchildren. We just borrowed it from those who fought, died and won the democracy that we all lean on.

They gave democracy to us so that we could build on it and make it better and stronger for every generation. This democracy have been challenged many times but never as much as right now, before the European elections and comming member-state elections.

How do we handle this?

I want to see a broad coalition on EU level and on national level against all totalitarianism, rasism and division. At the same time all of us who sees the threat must reach out to those who don't and show the strength of democracy in action. We must use all democratic weapons we have to fight the undemocratic forces back.

The fight for democracy never ends

If you want you're democratic and human rights, you must demand them for everyone.
Ever sense the end of world war II, Europe's democracies and their strive for reconciliation and unity have been a model for democracy and freedom activists all over the world.
But in the turmoil following the financial crisis dark forces are once again doing their best to divide and concur. That doesn't mean that Europe are back where she was in the 30s. No, in 2014 the 500 000 million citizens are among the best educated in the world, We also have a collective memory of the consequences and nightmares that fascism and communism brought to all Europeans. Hopefully this put together, means that when it comes down to it every sensible European will turn it's back on these ideologies and values.
But we aren't in the position to be naive. We must take a collective stand against all strives towards dictatorship and division, starting at the European elections comming week. Europe and Europeans can't afford to waste a single constructive seat in any parliament in Europe.
Democracy, liberty and our freedom can't be taken for granted, it's actually being threatened everyday and fight for democracy can never end!

#ivoteeurope

Get12vote

Imagine if everyone who woted in the European elections in 2009 could convince just one person who didn't to vote in this year's election the turnout would break the roof.

Does it sound like a crazy idea? Maybe, but imagine how the idea of European elections would of sounded in 1950. You get the point!

EP2014 will probably have a impact and consequences far beyond the mandate of the European parliament. So if we can make this happen I'm certain that the impact and consequenc will be positive for the voters and therefore for Europe.

Let's show the world that Europeans care about democracy and that European values are worth saving.

#Get12vote

A way to fight poverty in Europe

The best way to fight poverty in Europe is  through freedom of movement for all European citizens without any compromise to that freedom.
The freedom of movement should also be complemented by an EU-funded establishment support for unemployed who are willing to seek work or education in another EU-state. Or let's call it for what it is, a investment! The three months rule must also be scrapped at once. 

What's different with British nationalism

The difference between British euroscepticism and nationalism from most other EUmembers are the tone they have in the media ( including public service ) and among many established so called "moderate" politicians, against Europe and other Europeans. It's often very hard and unjust in every way.

Even when it comes to moderate pro-Europeans the focus is on British leadership in Europe and not about unification, stability or the common good of the European people.
I do generalais but it's this picture that comes out of Britain to the rest of us. And we aren't impressed!

I can see how fragile the political situation are in the UK at the same time as No. 10 and big parts of media points fingers at the rest of Europe. (EU, works as the famous scapegoat again)

The special relationship that the UK seem to want with the EU after the new deal is another example of Britain not knowing it's place as a equal member of the European family.

The UK is apart of the European family and I hope that the British Europeans will come to that conclusion very soon, once and for all.

The crisis in the UK that we don't talk about

Are the UK on the brink of a breakup?
The kingdom is divided on more then one front. EU, Scotland, Northern Ireland. What will happen if Scotland votes yes to independence? What will happen if the rest of the kingdom leaves the EU?
How will separatists in Northern Ireland act if Scotland becomes a republic within the EU?
What will happen with the monarchy and the common wealth? What would happen to England and Wales if Ireland and Scotland joins schengen?
Or turn it all around: The Scottish vote no, on independence and Cameron don't get a new term in office, what happens to the referendum? What would happen with the support for UKIP and how will they and other nationalists and populists act in this different scenarios.
The questions are many and the answers are just speculations.

What we can say without a doubt is that it is a nationalistic and populistic mess and that it can't come any good out of it for the common people. This is Cameron's legacy!

We can make change happen

EP elections are closing in on us. That's something to celebrate but it also means that we must start that fire and get debates going on the streets of Europe, in media and social media.

Don't be afraid of the necessary meetings with nationalists and sceptics. It's them we need to face!

We must let the people know why we need a strong, united and democratically healthy Europe in our time. The arguments are found everywhere.

We need to support each other in every  way we can because as you know #EP2014 isn't any election.

Believe in us, believe in Europe!