Will the new Europe be made on Steemit?

(French version of this post here)

At first glance, no. @furion post is one year old already, but is still relevant: the overwhelming majority of Steemians is from the US, followed by South Koreans. In fact, the first represented European nation is Germany, in 5th or 6th position, depending on the stats. Croatia is also doing well. (By the way, who knows where to find up-to-date figures by country? Thank you!)   

But let's not sink into despair just yet. Steemit is growing quickly (1 million accounts a few days ago!) and French, Spaniards, Italians, Poles are progressively joining the network.   

Great, cause Europe needs Steemit.   

In the middle of a crisis, the old continent is in need for a new breath of life. Contested from outside by the election of Trump, Russian and Chinese hegemonic ambitions, eaten away in his values by the Syrian conflict which keeps flouting international law... The recent example of the Iranian Nuclear Deal shows that it is no longer possible for Europe to hide behind old alliances. As detailed by @corbettreport: a change is coming.   

From the inside too, Europe is being called into question: Brexit of course. But also Catalonia, tax evasion, social models, weight of lobbies, bureaucracy... it is time to offer something else to the European citizen, whether in the Union or on its periphery. Because what's at stakes here is continental: the Swiss, Norwegians, Icelanders, Turks and other neighbours also need a Europe that is doing well in a world that is doing rather badly.   

Could we create a European community on Steemit? A community of citizens not only by country, but across borders?   

The time seems right. Transnational initiatives have multiplied in recent months. First of all, in the traditional political field. Two recently created parties have pushed for the establishment of European lists for the May 2019 elections: Diem25 by Greek Yánis Varoufákis who campaigns for a "European New Deal", and En Marche by French Emmanuel Macron, who celebrated his victory to the air of the EU anthem. Both are following in the footsteps of the European Movement which has been defending this position for many years. For the time being, sadly, the European Parliament has rejected the idea of these transnational lists. But the idea is there, and links are forged. Durably.   

Fortunately, these transnational initiatives are not just political. They are also emerging from civil society. Just one example? The PulseofEurope movement which fights « to defend a strong and functioning Europe ». Launched in February 2017 by Germans, affiliated with no political party, it has already brought hundreds of thousands of citizens to the streets in about ten countries and twenty cities on the continent.

![PoE.png]()

Want other examples? Recent mobilizations against glyphosate, electric fishing, CETA... all passed through Brussels because that's where most decisions are now made, affecting the whole continent and leading to a European convergence of struggles.   

Some will say this is not new, and they will be right. For centuries networks have been created on the continent without stopping at the borders of nation-states. To name a few : philosophers of the Lumières in the 18th century, or more recently in the 20th century the initiatives for peace and against two World Wars. In fact, it is precisely in these times of tension and doubt that such initiatives are born. Sometimes they fail, others they succeed.   

We can't get out of our heads that this is an emergency. Emergency on climate issues, emergency on  finding a common and human answer to the asylum crisis. And it is all the more urgent because, for their part, the extreme right-wing parties, eurosceptic or europhobic populisms have clearly understood that unity is strength. The Visegràd group governments (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) openly denies the values of solidarity at the heart of the European project, French Marine Le Pen congratulates her Italian friends for their recent electoral victory...   

In spite of them, calls are multiplying to reinvent Europe. "Europe, year zero" titles the French Nouveau Magazine Littéraire, advocating for debate and exchange that is not limited to institutions or even economics. The excellent Eurozine or AreWeEurope already explore the cultural field, music, art, literature for the new European generations. Something is happening.   

What about Steemit?

This momentum needs new formats, new vectors. Blockchain has a tremendous potential to redistribute information, and thus representation, and thus power. Deciphering current news and challenges of the 21st century from a European point of view, without any preconceived political project, to federate European contributors and readers into a network, this is the ambition of this blog.    

Many questions arise (especially the language one). But let's take the risk, let's make the bet.   

Spending a few minutes on the network allows to quickly detect focused Europeans among its users. Like the Hungarian artist @zsolt.vidak whose colourful work on Europe is to be found here and there. Like also @freemanreporter reporting independantly on the recent EU Western Balkans Summit.   

Good news!