Save Schengen to Save the Union

Student associations, political organisations, young and old Europeans mobilised in eight different European countries (the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Hungary, Romania) to defend Schengen and free movement rights.

Four frontiers were crossed, an event took place in the village of Schengen and many people participated in the social-media campaign launched by the organisation “Think The Wall” by sharing pictures and stories in support of borderlessness.

In Groningen (NL), Think The Wall decided to conclude the day with a movie night at the Café de Keyzer, screening “The Great European Disaster Movie”.

Around thirty people, mostly students, participated to the event and later discussed about the present, the future, the potentials and the risks of the European integration project.

Comments on the film were very positive, with the audience very much interested by the different economic, social, political analyses and points of view offered by the speakers in the movie.

Opinions were unanimously pro-European, with some slightly different stances regarding the operationalisation of a social Europe and of a highly-needed institutional reform at odds with the current Council’s hegemony.

How does one Europeanise the masses when most of the resources are still in the hands of the member states?

The debate provided everyone with valuable food for thought. What seemed to have become clear in the minds of the attendees was the responsibility with which new generations of Europeans are endowed.

It is a responsibility for which we will be held accountable by our children, but luckily it is also matched by a great potential: the same potential of the European networks collaborating to spread awareness during the European Border Crossing Day.

With solidarity, enthusiasm, coordination, creativity and commitment we can go even further than #saveSchengen, to #saveEurope together.