Charlie just wants to be Charlie. Nothing more. Why is their gender so difficult for the world around them to accept?
Zara knows what she wants: end the horrible pain of endometriosis. Find a drug that could help so many people. But sometimes it seems like people can’t see any further than her skin colour, her last name, or her choice of clothing.
Daniel wants to scream it out to the world. He is in love with a man. He wants to go out at night, walk the streets of Sofia with his partner, and bring his partner to the company Christmas party.
Last year, Mirna voted to for an alternative to corruption, intimidation and manipulation in her home country, but its democracy and the rule of law continue to deteriorate. Instead of going to work, Mirna now demonstrates every day, together with thousands of fellow citizens, to bring about change.
Prejudice, discrimination, and threats to fair democratic processes continue to hold European societies back. But we can change this. It must be changed.
A European Union of democracy, freedom and fundamental rights is ours to build.
Racism never went away. For example, anti-Muslim racism, antisemitism and antigypsyism are all on the rise. Discrimination and exclusion remain far too common for people living with disabilities, people living in poverty and other vulnerable groups.
At Europe’s borders, people are dying. Mediterranean migration routes are the deadliest in the world. People seeking safety and protection increasingly face detention, brutal and illegal pushbacks, and violence at the hands of smugglers and border authorities. The far-right exploits and deepens their suffering, dragging mainstream parties to the right and normalizing migration policies that are both dysfunctional and unsustainable.
Far-right parties are gaining ground with their tried and trusted tactics of spinning half-truths and scapegoating minorities. This conservative backlash is working strategically to roll back our rights and freedoms. Once firm believers in the European project, even mainstream conservatives are opening the door for anti-democratic forces who threaten the rule of law.
We have the courage to stand up to the far right to protect everyone’s rights and freedoms.
Greens will safeguard democracy and the rule of law and demand a different European Union. We are convinced that the European Union needs to be more united to tackle our shared problems. We call for a federal European Union with increased powers, deep democracy, and real transparency and accountability.
We will fight racism and exclusion in all its forms. We will make sure that nobody can make decisions about your body. We demand a fair asylum system that defends human rights and dignity. We work towards a migration policy that recognizes the immense contribution that migrants make to our societies. We believe that policies work best when shaped by the people concerned. We are certain that democracy cannot flourish without vibrant civic space and empowered civil society actors. We stand for judicial independence and freedom of the press.
The European Union was founded to protect peace and democracy and uphold freedom, rights, and justice.
We will make that founding promise a reality for all.