Enshrining Fundamental Rights

We will enforce European residents’ rights to equality, democracy, and reproductive autonomy, safeguarding these freedoms from all authorities who are fighting to take them away.

Our
10
policies:

Copenhagen Commission

An independent watchdog to investigate violations of fundamental rights

We must protect our fundamental rights against member-state governments who try to take them away. We propose to strengthen the ECJ by introducing a Copenhagen Commission, an independent watchdog that will investigate violations of Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, which guarantees dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, judicial independence, and respect for human rights in all EU member-states.

Convention on Reproductive Rights

Guarantee safety, security, and reproductive autonomy in all EU member-states

We believe that gender-based oppression in one member-state is a threat to marginalized genders in all of them. We are calling for a pan-European Convention on Reproductive Rights, which sanctions member-states that fail to guarantee safety, security, and reproductive autonomy. In the Convention, we will call for a range of immediate reforms to promote reproductive rights. We demand free and easy access to contraception without prescription. Hygiene products like tampons, sanitary towels as well as menstruation cups should be affordable and freely accessible in schools, universities, work places and public spaces of all kinds. All people with uteri in Europe should have access to and free information about safe and legal abortion. Pregnant people should have access to prenatal care through free prenatal testing, free midwifery care, free or subsidised courses in order to help them prepare for the delivery. People at risk of foetal death or premature birth should be entitled to a fully paid holiday during pregnancy. These rights extend into parenthood. Parents should be entitled to 480 days of parental leave. Parents who are not employed should also be entitled to parental leave. Outside the 480 paid days, parents should also have the legal right to reduce their normal working hours to spend more time with their children.

Protecting Whistle-blowers

We will strengthen the protection for all those who speak out against injustice

Journalists, investigators, and employees face major risks when they blow the whistle on wrongdoing. Several European citizens who have reported on corruption have been murdered, and many more have faced threats to their life. We will strengthen the protection for whistle-blowers in order to guarantee their physical safety, job security, and legal status when they come forward.

Enforcing LGBTTQIA+ Rights

Equal rights and privileges for LGBTTQIA+ people across Europe

European Spring demands equal rights and privileges for LGBTTQIA+ people. We will fight for all EU member-states to recognize all marriages between partners and guarantee marriage privileges to those partners. In addition, we will fight to guarantee LGBTTQIA+ people’s right to adopt children. Finally, we will fight for all EU member-states to recognize non-binary people and guarantee free access to transition procedures.

Gender Parity in the EU

Ensure an equal and fair representation of all genders at all levels of EU institutions

We will fight for gender parity in our politics. We propose the introduction of a European gender parity clause that will ensure an equal and fair representation of all genders at all levels of all EU institutions. The proposal will also stipulate new gender balance thresholds for the electoral lists of political parties in the European Parliament.

Transnational Voting Rights

European citizens should be able to in EU elections regardless of their residence

European Spring believes that European citizens should be guaranteed a vote in European Parliament elections regardless of their place of residence. To date, millions of EU citizens living in “third countries” are not given the opportunity to elect an MEP. After Brexit, that number will only grow. We believe that living abroad should not come at the cost of your vote. We will change the law to allow the member-state consulates to host voting for European citizens outside the EU.

The Right to Open Internet

We will introduce legislation that enshrines a right to open and uncensored Internet

We will introduce legislation that enshrines a right to open and uncensored Internet. To provide more universal access to the Internet, the legislation will attach responsibilities for EU member-states to develop and expand digital infrastructure. To ensure that all people have the capabilities to navigate the Internet, we will revive the EU’s “Lifelong Learning Program” to help build digital literacy and digital capacity across Europe.

Cyber Security Rights

Citizens have a right to know who collects data about them, for which purposes, and using which algorithms

We believe that all people are entitled to cyber security rights that protect them from state surveillance and private data trading. We believe that citizens have a right to know who collects data about them, for which purposes, and using which algorithms. We demand that all digital products have privacy as their default setting. We will restrict the sale and access of users’ data to third parties that do not have explicit consent. We will give all citizens the right to know when they are interacting with an algorithm. And we will enshrine the right to equal treatment, ensuring that citizens do not face discrimination — racial, ethnic, or otherwise — on the basis of digital algorithms.

Fighting racism and discrimination

We will fight all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, colour, ethnic background, or religion

We aim to eradicate racist violence, harassment and discrimination in all spheres of society. We are calling for a radical expansion of investment in EU Equality Bodies in order to investigate racial profiling in law enforcement in member-states. We propose to initiate diversity audits of public bodies, in order to ensure that public goods and services like social housing are distributed on an equal basis, in a way that enhances integration. We also support integration measures that assist historically disadvantaged groups to access education, language training, and apprenticeship opportunities. Meanwhile, modules on discrimination should be included at all levels of public education in Europe, so as to challenge these practices at their roots. Finally, we will ensure that the rights granted to ethnic and indigenous minorities in Europe are both harmonized and protected across the EU; and that all anti-discrimination regulations and standards are upheld, strictly and uniformly, within all EU member states. In order to monitor and assess progress, we propose systematic data collection in compliance with Data Protection Regulations and through consultation with representatives of minority groups.

Ending Gender-Based Violence

A range of reforms to protect against exploitation, harassment, and assault

The EU must do more to end gender-based violence. We will fight to protect and extend the Istanbul Convention, calling on all member-states to ratify protections against gender exploitation. We will fight for all member-states to implement the special protections for women who remain at high risk. All EU-sponsored facilities for asylum-seekers must provide gender-specific facilities that guarantee protection from harassment and sexual assault. Exploitation and oppression based on gender should be respected as a basis for refugee status.