DiEM25 members from across Europe and beyond have voted, and our renewed Coordinating Collective (CC) has emerged!

Six posts in DiEM25’s Coordinating Collective were up for elections in August 2020. You can see the full results in the member’s area here. Meet the women (5) and men (1) that have been chosen by DiEM25 members to guide our movement in the months ahead!

These successful candidates all articulate the importance of our movement in today’s pressing context — in which we can not only observe climate disasters but also man-made ones issued of corruption and greed, as well as a creeping rise of fascism in Europe and across the globe.

Fotini Bakadima – 1557 (52%)

“I see DiEM25 as the only alternative for Europe and the only political movement that offers real answers and solutions to the real problems that oppress our lives. As the EU continues to disintegrate and Europe is in front of a decisive crossroad we have a huge fight in front of us and if we wish to succeed a lot of time and effort will be needed.”

“As member of the movement since its launch I have been an ex-officio member of the CC, dealing with logistical and administrative issues, an elected member of it recently, part of the PNC and then NC of Greece, member of the Political Secretariat and now elected Member of Parliament of MeRA25. I had the chance to organise various events all over Greece and dealt with all the administrative and logistical issues of DiEM Greece and help with our Greek EW’s campaigns for both elections, the EU and the national ones, being responsible for the formation of the candidates’ lists and helping with the organisation of all the events prior to elections and since July 2019, I am one of the nine MPs our Greek party has in Parliament.”

Jordi Ayala Roqueta – 1196 (39%)

 

“Europe is in a crossroads. The alternative cannot be the old neoliberal prescription that has brought our continent to increasing inequality, social rights cuts, and environmental crisis.”

“I have been around DiEM25 since the very beginning when I was invited to the talk about DiEM’s economic analysis and policy framework in the launching of the movement in 2016 in Berlin. It was extraordinary to gather together with so many activists and so much energy.

A year ago, I was elected as member of the Coordinating Collective during this difficult year. However, we succeeded to design a new road map for our movement. One of the important pieces I am proud to be helping to implement are the task forces on feminism, diversity and disability together with Simona Ferlini and Johannes Fehr and the different volunteers of our reach movement through an open debate.

Since 2015, after Ada Colau victory in the municipal elections, I have also been focused in Barcelona as the economic CEO of the City Council where we have been able to put into practice some of the policies DiEM25 defends in Europe like a progressive fiscal policy with strict fiscal fraud control and rising taxes to the wealthiest; the issue of the first local green and social bond in Spain and a new budget and financial policy based on complete transparency. We have also promoted the small and medium size enterprises especially including self-employment and the cooperative and social economy, opening the traditionally opaque public procurement. All these policies need to be applied in Europe and DiEM25 can be the tool.”

Julijana Zita – 1092 (36%)

“DSCs must become the democratic loudspeakers in their communities and introduce people to our vision: it is possible to speak locally, be heard and have an impact at a pan-European level! It is possible to be part of a programme that does not put the economy or imaginary borders first, but the true owners of democracy, the people!”

“I became an active member in May 2018 as part of the DSC Frankfurt, at a time when we were working on the founding assembly of DiEM25’s Electoral Wing in Germany. All tough I decided to join Diem25, because it was a movement and not a party, I figured that a party, with the spirit of Diem25 felt not at all, like joining a usual party and in June 2018 I spontaneously, also became a founding member of “Demokratie in Europa“ in Frankfurt and have been in the party’s board ever since.

Over the past two years, besides doing mandatory tasks, like administrative work or regular meetings, I have represented the movement’s German Electoral Wing in Warsaw, during the European Spring meeting, organised and coordinated two European Spring events, two member assemblies in Germany, and I also produced European Spring t-shirts, banners, flyers and stickers.

Apart from my work in the Electoral Wing, I am also helping out with many different tasks in the DiEM25 universe, like writing articles, researching, transcribing and translating, planning campaigns, and lending a helping hand whenever needed. At the moment I am also founding a new DSC, which I am very excited about.”

Patrizia Pozzo – 1022 (34%)

“We are living a historical turn, the world is in flames, and the European Union risks to be dissolved in its contradictions. Our mission to democratise Europe is needed more than ever, and I feel the need to help as much as I can to strengthen our movement, the first transnational political force, struggling against the return of nationalism and fascism.”

“I’ve been part of DiEM25 since 2016 and was involved with different tasks helping the growth of the movement. I built up Palermo 1 DSC, and I was then elected in the Italian PNC and NC where I have been working as press and media coordinator .

I devised and prepared a number of national level campaigns in Italy, bringing together political and cultural work and engaging our local DSCs and activists in co-creating and co-managing the campaigns.

I was also one of the coordinators of the GND Pillar 5.

This long standing work for DiEM25, together with my passion and proven enthusiasm for our movement, helps me to better understand our points of strength and the points where we still have to improve more.”

Rosemary Bechler – 1009 (33%)

“Building a pan-European democratising movement is a huge challenge, not least in Brexit Britain. But we have the interest of a lot of serious European democrats and if we continue to think for ourselves and learn from each other, I think there is a historic opening for DiEM25 even in the COVID era which is our new normal.”

“In my first term as a member of the DiEM25 CC, I gave my support to the formation of a electoral wing and began exploring the challenges of a party-movement. My own priority remains building the movement, which is why I became a ground organiser for DiEM25UK NC, building up groups, and holding online fora for new members.

When I left the CC a year ago, apart from NC obligations and co-editing with David Adler Our Vision for Europe, I focused on two components of deliberative democracy: promoting thematic DSC’s and raising the profile of citizens assemblies in the UK and more broadly in a successful motion to our Prague Assembly. Building a pan-European democratising movement is a huge challenge, not least in Brexit Britain. But we have the interest of a lot of serious European democrats and if we continue to think for ourselves and learn from each other, I think there is a historic opening for DiEM25 even in the COVID era which is our new normal.”

Beral Madra – 1009 (33%)

“I will use my experience and network in Turkey’s contemporary art scene to make DiEM25 a sustainable movement towards a real democracy and social capitalism.”

“I joined DiEM25 Istanbul in November 2019. Worked for the presentation of DiEM25 to various groups of people. Organised an online poster project for social media. Organised the presentation of DiEM25 Turkey in Tüyap Book and Art Fair. Worked for the Istanbul visit and conferences of Yanis Varoufakis and DiEM25 members. Applied for PNC membership and since than working with 12 members for a solid establishment.”

These newly elected members will be joining Yanis Varoufakis, Renata Ávila, Srećko Horvat, Erik Edman, Ivana Nenadovic, and Simona Ferlini on our 12-person CC.

Runner-up candidates

While the following candidates did not win election to the CC this time around, we thank them all for participating and hope they’ll continue working with us. DiEM25 needs you and your commitment to make our movement better!

Jochen (Joachim Hermann Leopold) Schult (32%), Manuel Leitlauf (32%), Julia May Moore (31%), Andrea Serra (29%), Angela Lacerda-Nobre (28%), Veralisa Massari (25%), Dolores Bajo Alonso (24%),  Stefania Romano (21%),  Arturo Desimone (18%), and Silvia Terribili (16%).

The power of grassroots

By making their voices heard in this pivotal internal democratic process, our members have sent a loud message to the status quo: at DiEM25 we really mean it when we say that we believe in grassroots power!

The DiEMers that ran for a seat in the CC represent the pan-European, grassroots essence of our movement: they are people from very different backgrounds and countries, and from across the political spectrum. These results showcase the movement’s continued commitment to feminism and its strong representation of women in leading roles.

All candidates stand together ready to fight for the movement we all believe in. No other political organisation can pride itself on this level of openness and inclusivity, at such an international scale.

Background to the vote

Following DiEM25’s Organising Principles (OPs), six of the twelve seats in the movement’s CC were up for renewal this summer. Candidates could send their submissions from July 7 until August 6, and the voting period was between August 13 and 28.

Candidacies to the CC were open to all DiEMers who adhered to basic criteria like how long they have been a member of the movement, and how much time they could give to working on the CC, among others.

To ensure transparency and a genuine democratic process, voting was open to members that joined the movement before the elections were announced. Additionally, members’ accounts needed to be verified and active, for them to be able to vote.

As with all DiEM25’s internal democratic procedures, all transnational votes had equal value and were anonymised upon being cast. Furthermore, the results of the vote are in line with our OP’s gender-balance principles.

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