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Transnational paneuropean democracy is not just possible, not just a dream. It is here, alive and kicking – within our transnational paneuropean movement, DiEM25.

Over the past week, our members from Finland to Portugal and from Iceland to Turkey and Cyprus have been voting in what we call all member votes. Several votes that re-fashioned our internal constitution – our Ops as we call them.

Before capitalism, debt appeared at the very end of the economic cycle; a mere reflection of the power to accumulate already produced surpluses. Under feudalism, production came first with the peasants working the land to plant and harvest crops. Distribution followed the harvest, as the sheriff collected the lord’s share. Part of this share was later monetised when the lord’s men sold it at some market. Debt only emerged at the very last stage of the cycle when the lord would lend his money to debtors, the King often amongst them.

Being part of a genuinely democratic movement, that decides everything that matters by all member votes, is a rare respite from living in pseudo-democracies. DiEM25 was created with the lofty task of democratising Europe through a head-on confrontation with its ruling classes. How else could we hope to do this unless our internal processes are in synch with what we propose for Europe?

Socialising part of capital’s returns is one small step toward a postcapitalism worth fighting for. A small step, yes. But a crucial one.

You may also want to watch WHAT COMES AFTER CAPITALISM

ATHENS – To exorcise my worst fears about the coming decade, I chose to write a bleak chronicle of it. If, by December 2030, developments have invalidated it, I hope such dreary prognoses will have played a part by spurring us to appropriate action.

Before our pandemic-induced lockdowns, politics seemed to be a game. Political parties behaved like sports teams having good or bad days, scoring points that propelled them up a league table that, at season’s end, determined who would form a government and then do next to nothing.

The good folk at Cambridge Union invited me to deliver a talk over the internet during our lockdown days. I chose to deliver a speech, or text, reciting what I fear might prove an accurate assessment of our BLEAK TWENTIES from the perspective of, say, December 2030. My great hope is that it is proven grossly inaccurate. But my fear is that it won’t…

On Monday 19th May 2020, Chancellor Merkel and President Macron announced a joint proposal for a 500 billion euro common fund, to be financed by allowing the European Commission to borrow from the money markets. The fund will, according to the Merkel-Macron proposal, finance directly businesses across the EU – by means mainly of transfers. Is this a breakthrough? Here is my answer on behalf of DiEM25.