MANIFEST

Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022 and with the unwavering support to Israel and the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, the militaristic spirit that had laid latent in Europe for decades has reawakened. Most European leaders, from their institutional positions, have aligned themselves with the interests of NATO, following directives from Washington.

European citizens are being told that there is no alternative but to rearm the continent and strengthen our military capabilities, exponentially increasing defense spending in order to “protect” ourselves from a future yet imminent war. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump disengages from the conflict in Ukraine, focusing instead on his trade war against China and the rest of the world, as well as giving total freedom of action to the Zionist project of colonial occupation of Palestine.

In March of this year, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, detailed the new European rearmament plan. Aiming to mobilize €800 billion over the next four years, the plan will require Member States to increase public spending on defense, provide loans for the acquisition of military “equipment” managed directly by the European Commission, and channel private investment through the European Investment Bank.

The governments of virtually all Member States have accepted the ReArm Europe plan – which has been renamed Readiness 2030 – without opposition. As a result, a significant portion of the funding for Europe’s social systems will be diverted to defense, condemning citizens to the deterioration of public healthcare, education, housing, and other essential services. Meanwhile, the purchase and development of weaponry will enrich European and American manufacturers, plunging the population into deeper austerity.

The European Union’s current policies are the logical consequence of decades of militaristic, imperialist, neocolonial, and extractivist dominance by NATO and the United States, confirmed by the recent approval of the increase to 2 percent of GDP in national defense spending. In this context, social inequality, the repression of dissident voices, and authoritarianism have become defining features of European governance, bringing new social and economic crises to the continent’s poorest countries.

For this reason, as young people and youth organizations throughout Europe, we believe it is essential to place certain demands at the center of our political practice. These must live on in the battles we wage on a daily basis, involving every level of society: from places of knowledge and workplaces, through grassroots institutions to national and European institutions.

Halt the Readiness 2030 plan and redirect the billions of euros allocated to it towards the social systems of Member States.

Begin a realistic process towards true European autonomy, breaking free from its servile dependence on the United States and NATO.

Abandon the militaristic approach in favor of diplomacy and peace.