Do you like my shirt in this video? I think I have about 50 shirts, if not more.
That’s a lot of shirts. Winter shirts, summer shirts, office shirts.
If it helps, I’ve owned many of them for more than 10 years and I still wear them.
But this isn’t a newsletter about fast fashion. It’s about Europe.
My grandmother owned two skirts. In her entire life, she owned two skirts. She keeps reminding me of this.
She bought a dress once, just once. Then, she cut it in half to make two skirts. When my father was young, she worked in the small shop my grandparents ran, keeping my father in a little bucket beside her as she worked.
My mother grew up in a house without running water. No hot water. They carried water into the house and warmed it on the stove.
That wasn’t 100 years ago. That was 50 years ago. In Europe. In the West. In our European Union.
Too many of us have forgotten—or never lived—what true hardship feels like. Not just individual poverty, but poverty on a collective, systemic scale.
We have taken our collective progress for granted. And now, many of us are complicit in dismantling it.
Populist politicians, who don’t understand the complexity and value of our collective progress, are hastening our decline. And we, in our ignorance, too often support them.
At the same time, establishment politicians cling to power, even here in Luxembourg. They’re not creating the space for a new generation to lead, to build on what we’ve achieved, and to take us forward.
A Fragile Foundation
Let’s not forget what made our progress possible. The European Union was built from the ashes of two world wars. It’s a dream rooted in peace, collective security, and economic cooperation.
These, our, achievements require constant maintenance.
Today, political apathy and polarisation threaten the foundation of these achievements.
Our Engagement Today?
In Luxembourg, only one in ten eligible (non-citizen) voters participates in local elections.
This apathy isn’t unique to Luxembourg.
Meanwhile, those who do engage are often driven by frustration or fear, creating an echo chamber of extremes.
We see this in the rise of populist movements that capitalize on dissatisfaction but fail to deliver real solutions.
If we’re to reverse this trend, we need action at both the individual and systemic levels:
- Individuals: Join civic organisations, volunteer, or simply vote. Show up where it’s hard to make a difference.
- Systems: Politicians must ensure their actions are accountable—not just to today’s voters but to future generations. Policies must align with long-term goals, from combating climate change to ensuring equitable economic growth.
The Dream of Europe
I am inspired by the resilience of Ukrainians fighting for their democracy and their commitment to a European future.
I am moved by the Georgian people, marching for the hope of Europe.
Their courage reminds us what’s at stake—and what we have to lose if we take Europe for granted.
It’s not rocket science.
It’s far more complicated.
But that’s why we need to start.
Our dream of Europe rests on each and every one of you.
Only together, and with massive effort, we can sustain it and build a brighter, fairer future for all.
Christos Floros 