Transeuropa Caravans: connecting citizen’s struggles and building alternatives

On the year of the European Parliament elections, five groups of young activists are travelling throughout fifteen European countries on board of five caravans reaching out to European citizens at their sites of struggle and resistance. Four of the caravans will travel before the elections, while the fifth one will depart after the summer. Our objectives: defend freedom of movement and advocate for fundamental rights in Europe.

From 23 to 26 May 2019, European citizens are called to vote for the next European Parliament. Statistics show that voter turnout during the European Parliament Elections is decreasing every year. However, elections are not only about casting the ballot. While politicians have been neglecting citizen’s voices, the last decade has seen citizens across the continent mobilising to directly address their struggles.

Across five different routes, Transeuropa Caravans will visit and tell the stories of common struggles and victories but also spread knowledge of social and political action at a European level. Initiatives that share a sense of community and spirit of solidarity; from resistance to fascism to innovative ways of local participation in municipalist experiences. From the protection of the environment to the opening of borders and welcome initiatives for migrants. It is that growing network of interactions across borders which motivates people to find alternative ways of building and rethinking democracy in Europe. Looking across the many different cities and initiatives encountered by the Transeuropa Caravans, we will engage with people involved on the ground in political struggles and open spaces to discuss people’s needs.

Five caravans connecting struggles, building alternatives

Each of the Caravans will have its own topic and will organise actions, performances, trainings and conferences in relation to these themes and in cooperation with the local realities visited.

In May 2019, the Spring routes will depart to the Central Eastern route (Germany, Austria, Hungary / Shrinking Civic Space); the Western route (France, Spain, Portugal / Cities of Solidarity); the Visegrad route (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia / Culture and Theatre) and the Baltic route (Sweden, Finland and Estonia / Sustainability and Climate Change). After the summer, and with time to analyse the elections and the results, the Mediterranean route will travel to Italy, Slovenia and Croatia following the topic of migration and borders on the way to the Transeuropa Festival, happening in Palermo at the đend of the year from the 7th-10th November, 2019.

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European Alternatives is the organisation leading Transeuropa Caravans in cooperation with Krytyka Polityczna and ECIT Foundation.