Tu was für Europa was founded as a non-profit, non-partisan association in the run-up to the 2019 European elections against the backdrop of the anti-European developments at the time (Brexit, Trump, the rise of anti-European movements and parties). Initiator and then chairman of the association, Martin Schulz, said at the Tu was für Europa launch event in the packed Allianz Forum on 9 May 2019: ‘We must not leave Europe to those who want to abolish it’. In addition to Martin Schulz, the founding circle included Klaas Heufer Umlauf, Vera Lisakowski and the politicians Franziska Brantner (Greens), Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (FDP) and Monika Grütters (CDU) as patron. Supporters with strong personal statements on Europe included Daniel Brühl, Lea Linster and Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz.

Our guiding principle was and still is that, despite all the criticism, most people want more Europe, not less, but there’s a lack of concrete starting points for getting involved in Europe. That is why we want to create attractive and easily accessible projects, campaigns and events that make it easy and fun for people to get involved with others in favour of Europe and its values. We do not make any political demands of our own. Instead, we concentrate on strengthening the existing basic pro-European consensus. We want to make Europe visible and tangible. We want to bring people and institutions together and support them in doing something for Europe. Above all, we want to do this not only before the European elections, but especially in the years in between, when there is usually little attention for the important topic of Europe.

We want to be an organisation that shows how it is possible to make Europe an issue even when it is not an issue. We are very proud of the fact that we have succeeded in doing this with a large number of partners. Here is a selection:

• #myeurope: In the run-up to the 2019 European elections, we created a variety of individual opportunities to fly the flag for our ‘own Europe’. Anna Loos, Ulrich Matthes, Daniel Levy, Romy Haag and Jan Josef Liefers, among others, took part in the #myeurope video ‘I’m flying the flag for Europe’.
• The Voices of Europe Project: Our ‘European Medley in 12 Languages’ invites you to experience very different European languages. Through sing-along concerts by our The Voices of Europe Project choir (here the making-of video) with singers from very different European backgrounds (here at the Federal President’s Citizens’ Festival). Or try it out on your own on our project page.
• Colours of Europe Award: Europe takes place locally, but needs support and networking especially there. Our Colours of Europe Award honours and strengthens the exemplary European commitment of small municipalities.
• Happy Europe Day: Together with many people and institutions, we are working to make Europe Day, which takes place annually on 9 May, better known and thus more visible. How everyone can easily get involved.
• EuroJam: With EuroJam, which has been held annually in Berlin in May since 2022, we have created the most visible Europe Day event in Germany. Not a typical political event with the ‘usual suspects’ and rituals. Instead, it is a gathering of very different people who are united by the European idea and who want to experience the most relevant voices and topics relating to Europe together once a year. All previous speakers and their talks.
• #Europe16: 16-year-olds were allowed to vote for the first time in the 2024 European elections. It was important to us to help ensure that older people don’t – as is so often the case – explain to younger people why they should vote, but to do it the other way round: We wanted to strengthen the perspective of 16-year-olds. Among other things, with an election appeal and a speaker competition for 16-year-old first-time voters. The three winners, Zaïde Engel, Luise Goldmann and Sayen Ramirez, were the stars of this year’s EuroJam with their short speeches and can be seen in the media on SWR, Süddeutsche Zeitung and t-online, among others.
• #wieder16: A few hours before the polling stations for the 2024 European elections opened, the #wieder16 video campaign was launched on 8 June at 12.00 noon as the highlight and conclusion of our #Europe16 activities (see SPIEGEL article here). With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), celebrity supporters such as Florian David Fitz, Carolin Kebekus, Giovanni Zarrella, Veronika Ferres, Klaas Heufer-Umlauf and many others will transform themselves into their 16-year-old selves and call for the European elections in their own short videos. You can see all 27 videos here.