Political participation in Europe needs a transnational perspective and a better mutual understanding of people from all parts of Europe. The presence of expats in many big cities from different European countries could be used to stimulate the recognition of common values, ideas and political practices. Confrontation of ideas and exchange of opinions of all these expats with local people could generate a common feeling to belong to one culture and one united political space.

In two or three big cities in The `Netherlands where expats live

The development of democracy in Europe sticks at the moment in a retreat to nationalism. The one-sided national view dominates the political debate in Europe. This harms the development towards more democracy. This trend could be countered when people from all corners of Europe are brought together.

We will have recruited more advocates for the common European cause. And better perspectives for transnational democracy.

Contrary to the renationalization trend we see lots of people travel around Europe and work or study abroad. Confrontation of ideas and exchange of opinions of all these expats with local people could generate a common feeling to belong to one united political space. Mixed workshops on different themes support this goal. Publicity afterwards to spread the results should cause a broader awareness of the urgency to build a democratic Europe.

We are a new local support group of the DiEM25 movement. We have discussed democracy and transparency in Europe and try to recruit more people who are convinced of the urgency of a real transnational European democracy.

Expats and local people interested in developing European democracy

We welcome input for concretization of the idea how to organize exchanges with expats. We think about a few workshops in dutch cities with expats and local people with the help of professionals of a debating centre. The results will be spread as input for the ˜European elections in 2019.