Evizda

Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis on Tuesday announced the launch of a pan-European progressive movement to “democratize” the continent and promote alternatives to austerity and authoritarianism.

Along with pro-democracy allies from across the continent, Varoufakis—known for his candid rejection of European Union austerity politics during Greece’s financial crisis—chose to announce the “Democracy in Europe Movement 2025” (Diem25) at the historic Volksbuehne theater, which is known as a landmark in German leftist activism.

“We’ve chosen Berlin precisely because nothing can change in a progressive direction without the full participation of Germany in our European endeavors,” he said during a press conference in the theater. “We want to strengthen democracy and prevent the EU’s disintegration.”

The movement, which will act as a social forum to share ideas on democratizing the continent, describes its immediate priorities in its online manifesto:

Varoufakis first revealed plans to establish the movement late last year, and said in January that he hoped it would enable progressives throughout Europe to take back power from what he described as a “shadowy world of bureaucrats, bankers, and unelected officialdom.”

“A political movement that starts everywhere in Europe at once, across borders, independently of prior political party affiliations, that has one simple objective: to get Europeans around a metaphorical table, digital table, in forums like this one tonight, to discuss as Europeans their common problems and what we want are common solutions to these common problems to be,” he said Tuesday.