Solidifying DiEM25's Electoral Wings (EWs) - Vote by DiEM25 members

At the Prague Assembly, members discussed, amended and approved the following proposal (among others) to improve DiEM25’s work and its potential in the coming year. Please evaluate it carefully, especially the amendments compared to the pre-Prague version (highlighted in green), and decide whether this is something DiEM25 should invest its limited energy into.

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Area: Running an Effective Movement (strengthening our OPs and Manifesto, improving internal processes; fundraising; IT)

Summary:

We have come together to offer a number of proposals for the Electoral Wings of our movement, in order to further develop and solidify that side of our activity. It is important to clearly delineate the areas of work of the movement from those of its political parties, to allow members to find the space that suits them the most within the DiEM25 project, while making our work more functional and effective.

Concretely, we recommend:

1) to make the membership of one DiEM25 EW (electoral wing) equivalent to a membership to all DiEM25 EW, and to make it subject to a membership fee, a fraction of which is centrally collected and used through a European EW budget at the disposal of the CC, allowing DiEM25 to use it to reinforce its electoral fights across Europe from a central vantage point, and to translate and inform about EW decisions. Furthermore, members of DiEM25’s electoral wings can of course participate in all votes of EWs, not only those concerning the members of the movement. Voting rights in the EW may be suspended if prohibited by national law. Each EW must state legal limitations on voting rights in its country. In the long term, DiEM25 and its EW will advocate for a legal framework for pan-European parties.

2) The formation of a Forum space, integrated into DiEM25’s existing web infrastructure, accessible to all but with “commenting rights” only for our movement’s members who are also members of DiEM25’s electoral wings. This space should foster a sense of commonality in the electoral dimension of our work, while also practically allowing for members to organise within and beyond national borders

3) To entrust the CC with creating a list of cases and situations, in a collaborative process involving the DiEM25 membership, possibly through the new DMA, followed by an AMV, for which all-member votes and consultations must be called regarding the running of the parties, but beyond which the parties are free to navigate the electoral arenas of their countries as they see fit

4) The CC sets out to create a list of basic criteria, in a collaborative process involving the DiEM25 membership, possibly through the new DMA, followed by an AMV, in terms of political and organisational principles which all EWs need to respect to remain part of DiEM25.

5) The CC makes a proposal for the decision-making criteria and procedure related to the establishment and expulsion of EWs, to be subject to an AMV.

How will this proposal help DiEM25 achieve its goals?

One of DiEM25’ goals is to win electoral power for our movement’s agenda, principles and ideas. For this to be achieved, it is imperative to create a pan-European electoral structure that can offer Europeans what nobody has before: a common political vehicle which can unite their struggles across borders, as a single political force. DiEM25 has done important work in this direction, but the project is not complete.

Our proposal aims to further strengthen this element of our work but underlining the common pan-European identity of our struggle, strengthening with a budget and giving it an organisational identity that differentiates it from the movement. This will allow members to work more efficiently in the area of volunteering they feel most inspired in, while ensuring the commonality between the two elements of the DiEM25 project: movement, and the electoral wings which pursue its goals electorally.

How will your proposal be implemented (timeline and steps)?

1) We will work with DiEM25’s IT team to create the EW subforum as a part of the current Discourse forum, but with exclusive access for EW members. This is not expected to take longer than a month to implement

2) We will work with DiEM25’s IT team to create an extension of the MeRA25 sign-up form for all DiEM25 EWs. Also not expected to take longer than a month

3) We would expect the CC to not take longer than 3 months to compile the lists for EW and AMV (all member votes) conditions

You will know your proposal has succeeded when:

1) There is a well-populated and active dedicated EW forum

2) There is an official online procedure for joining DiEM25’s EW. The procedure makes EW membership fees necessary (lower if member already paying a monthly donation to DiEM25)

3) The CC has proposed a comprehensive list of conditions and situations for which All Member Votes are required and it has been passed by an All Member Vote

4) The CC has proposed a list of political and organisational criteria that all EWs must adhere to and it has been passed by an All Member Vote

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Should DiEM25 invest energy and resources into this?