Manifest initiated by the Former President of the Czech Republic
Václav Klaus

Prominent media both in our country (Lidové noviny, 4th September 2013) and in the world have published the declaration by Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the infamous anarchist and fighter at the barricades of Paris in 1968, and by Felix Marquardt. They are co-founders of the movement Europeans Now, the so-called Young Europeans: "Unite!"

This catchphrase is a deliberate rephrasing of Marx's Communist Manifesto and its appeal "Workers of the world, unite!" and it clearly points in the same direction. Modern leftist radicals, not only of the red sort but nowadays more often of the green one too, are now trying to revive the horrors that were brought into being as a result of the Manifesto and its appeal, with its tens of millions of victims of the Communist social-engineering project which in the end, after a long time (alas! much too long a time!), collapsed almost a quarter of century ago – these people are trying to revive all this by means of the European Union.

Democrats in Europe must not brush this aside as unimportant. It is an overt step towards the final transformation of this originally international organisation into a European superstate, designed to destroy the historical European states together with the concept of democracy that is indivisibly and inseparably associated with these states.

Let us not underestimate these people! Daniel Cohn-Bendit is a prominent Member of the European Parliament for the Green Party. This radical Franco-German politician, who used to be known as "Dany the Red," is publishing his manifesto at the time when the European Union is struggling with its worst and deepest financial, economic and political crisis to date, brought about by a number of factors, last but not least of which is the totally unauthentic and overhasty integration process. Many countries, especially in the South of our continent, are struggling with the deepest frustration of their citizens, while unemployment is rocketing, especially among the young, and social tension is building up. The leaders of the movement Europeans Now have decided that this is the ideal opportunity to repeat Marx's old recipe for the creation of the new International association of leftist parties, for the lining up of the non-democratic elements and for the final takeover. What they have changed is only the vocabulary, while the essence remains the same.

They write, "The time has come for the international, inter-gender and non-ideological movement that would hoist the European integration to the new level." Its authors decry the "nation-state“ as an "outdated structure". They also signal, in connection with the forthcoming elections for the European Parliament, the "creation of a party" that should be – again! – a party of a totally "new" type.

The authors furthermore say, with a shocking opennes: "It is very naïve to expect that traditional national political leaders elected ... by citizens in their sovereign territory might solve problems in an adequate way... let us go on supporting our favorite footbal or rugby teams. But let us not be fooled by the blown up bullshit of our national political leaders who keep saying that in the field of politics the national state remains to be the appropriate means."

This manipulative language, which reduces the traditions and history of the sovereign European states to football fanship, is typical of the whole manifesto. The denigration of "ideology“, or rather of ideas which are essential and indispensable to truly democratic politics, targets the very core of democracy. These people are turning to "generations" that are allegedly "hindered by the limited world view applied in their countries."

The authors unscrupulously proclaim that the Europe of today is about something else than "how the individual nations would like the world to be". The creation anew of the "melting-pot of nations" in the style of the old Soviet Union has become the overt goal of this political movement. "We must let our national politicians know that we will no more buy their nationalist bric-á-brac," proclaim Cohn-Bendit and his comrades. "We must... begin to act as Europeans. And our first step is to elect our representatives not as French, German or Greek citizens, but as the citizens of Europe." With this, the exponents of Europeans Now conclude their appeal for the formation of the new Interrnational association of leftist political parties.

Let us not admit the thought that this is a mere "eccentricity" or "excess". These "new leaders" are only vocalising openly what the contemporary European elites disguise in less radical words in order not to terrify the citizens of their countries too much. Their deeds, however, in a no less radical way, proceed towards the very same goal. Revolutionaries such as Cohn-Bendit et al. just make the mistake that in the interest of their political ambitions in the upcoming European elections they brashly make public this totalitarian ideology coated with "modern paint".

It would be a tragic mistake to leave these appeals for the definitive change of regime in Europe unanswered. But alas, democrats are asleep! The historical experience of citizens who twenty five years ago divested themselves of their bondage seems to be forgotten. And the democratic politicians of the erstwile free world, confronted with this new and now quite undisguised road to serfdom, still persist in their criminal negligence and apathy. History teaches us that not to oppose – actively and in time – this ever growing danger, both in the individual states and in the European institutions, might in the near future bring about tragic outcomes.

Then it will be too late.

That is why we appeal to all the democratic elements in Europe, to all those who still believe that Europe must not become the laboratory of another social-engineering experiment of eternal revolutionaries, to oppose these attempts in an equally fierce, vociferous and uncompromising manner as that of our opponents.

Democrats of the European countries, wake up!

Signatories (6th September 2013)

V. Klaus, Former President of the Czech Republic

J. Weigl, Executive director, the Václav Klaus Institute

P. Hájek, Journalist, Editor in chief, Protiproud.cz

M. Semín, Chairman, the D.O.S.T. Initiative

N. Farage, Chairman, the UK Independence Party, Great Britain

J. Laughland, Director, the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation, Paris

G. Schwarz, Director, Avenir Suisse, Switzerland

L. S. Christensen, Chief Executive Officer, Saxo Bank, Denmark

M. Pojezdný, Abbot at Strahov Monastery

F. Debenedetti, Director, Istituto Bruno Leoni, Torino

M. Knížák, Professor at Charles Univerzity

D. Tříska, Economist and Lawyer

L. Jakl, Political analyst, the Václav Klaus Institute

P. Kolář, Professor at Charles University

J. Bobošíková, Leader, the election alliance „Hlavu vzhůru!“

O. Hejma, Publicist and musician

M. Bednář, Professor at Charles University

Join this manifest by sending the words of support to 
democracy@vkinstitute.cz