« Antidemocratic and xenophobic forces of Europe have always been attracted by the European unity dream, the mystic of the imperial Rome»
(FB - 1998)
" Being a citizen is a voluntary act "
(FB - 2009)
"Thinking about the future only makes sense if it is aimed at improving one’s thinking about the present and about the trends at work"
(FB - 1998)
"The European project is not a dream, but a hope. It is rooted in rationality, which is not the case with dreams. We Europeans have seen our dreams end in nightmares too often not to be suspicious."
(FB - 2005)
"The strength of a network is judged at the information level of the weakest link, or more precisely the link furthest from the centre of the network."
(FB - 2004)
"Europe's destiny is escaping the two "Greats" and it will come knocking on the door of the Europeans."
(FB - 1989)
"The history of Europe is a bit like a multifaceted diamond. Everyone sees the same diamond... but no one sees exactly the same facets."
(FB - E-storia project, 2004)
"Let us dare the future as the founding fathers of Europe did"
(FB - "From EU to Euroland", 2001)
"The European citizenship can not be decreed. The European citizen can only be born..."
(FB - 1992)
"Every state is a minority in the EU. In any case, let’s not forget that if all our states went into building the EU it is because they all felt too small to face alone both their future and the rest of the world."
(FB - 2003)
"From a single (EU) Currency to a single (EU) Citizenship. The euro is only an instrument."
(FB - 1997)
"An empire is always providing platforms where conflicts and wars prolife­rate... an empire needs enemies, whilst a Community requires partners."
(FB - 1992)
"Europe’s history has taught us that dreams and nightmares are the two faces of the same coin"
(FB - “Europe is Peace” 2006)
"Everybody wants to have a successful enlargement whereas it is a successful enlarged EU which is important."
(FB - 2002)
"It is clear that the existing national political parties can not serve two masters: national and European."
(FB - IDE, 1989)
"It takes teamwork to make Europe move forward."
(FB - 2005)
"There is nothing like one European. The European is a team of Europeans... the only way we can imagine a European, it is a team of people from different countries, not a single man or woman."
(FB - Enschede (NL) 2012)
"On the horizon with a heaven of freedom and a land of responsibility, this is perhaps the soul of Europe."
(FB - 1992)
"The future challenge for the European project is not about Europe anymore, it is about the Europeans."
(FB - 2005)
"The more Brussels speaks English, the less Brussels understands the Europeans"
(FB - 2004)
"Occupy the Future of Europe!"
("What do YOU want as a future for AEGEE?" Franck Biancheri at the 2012 Agora in Enschede)
"To combine new technologies and democratic principles to succeed in the entry of European integration in the 21st century or e-democracy at the service of Euro-democracy"
(FB - EUSV, 2001)
"In the years 00 of the 21st century, democratization can only take place in the perspective of the democratic election of a European executive that remains to be invented."
(FB - EUSV, 2001)
"We must build the European Community, otherwise Europe will soon be culturally Americanised, politically Finlandised and technologically Japanised"
EGEE I, 1984

From “Biancheri Athens 1998” to “Macron Athens 2017”: Upgrading democracy takes 20 years

Emmanuel Macron’s recent speech in Athens puts on the table the great political challenges facing the EU. Rebuilding citizens’ trust, democratising the EU, opening the European election to trans-European lists, politically refounding the Eurozone… These ideas are truly echoeing another speech, delivered 20 years ago, in Athens too, by Franck Biancheri, at the time when, together with his road-companions, he was launching the Project Europe2020 (which gave birth to think tank Europe 2020, followed by LEAP2020). Not only are the ideas the same, but the deadline set to transform the EU the time was perfectly estimated: 20 years.

 

As Nathalie Loiseau, the new French Minister of European Affairs, wrote when Franck passed away : “Franck was a sower. His ideas have germinated and leave a deep print in each of us. If his passing away is a schock, let’s be attentive to carry on his work. Europe needs his intellectual heritage” (In Memoriam, 2012, #68).

 

Today indeed, we, and many more heirs of his thought, now converging, are ready. With #CitizenRoute73, iCAN, the 1Head2Votes campaign,… to name a few, we are making sure that the citizens are up to the confidence Mr Macron is granting them, getting mobilised to grow the debate, ideas, figures, movements, lists, media… required for the next 2019 election to enter into History books as the first real trans-European election,… the kind of election we demanded in July 2017 in our Countering the British nationalist Coup d’Etats with a European democratic blow: Towards a first real trans-European election.

 

Thank you Mr Macron! You can count on us!

 

Read again Franck Biancheri’s speech in Athens in May 1998 on Franck Biancheri Documentation