Disappointing outcome European Citizens’ Initiative to Launch Unconditional Basic Incomes in the EU

The ECI-UBI 2020-2022 is history. We have not reached our goal of 1 million signatures.

But:

1. We obtained more ECI signatures than with the first ECI – despite Corona, an unfavorable political situation (Ukraine war), great unfamiliarity with the ECI employee participation tool and no financial support for the ECI from the EU. Furthermore, in many countries the populistic idea has taken hold that basic income is a scam by the elite to keep the people under their thumb. We know better!

Compared to the ECI 2013/14, many countries have increased the number of signatures (great!), some have collected much less.

2. We were successful on the internet platform “Conference on the Future of Europe: “One of the most suggested mechanisms to make Europe more inclusive and socially just is to guarantee an unconditional basic income across the EU.” (see final report platform page 44) .

3. We have further expanded the European network. Let’s continue to fight together for a Europe with an unconditional basic income.

Ronald Blaschke, Klaus Sambor

The initiative page https://eci-ubi.eu

How to continue?

After the end of the signing period, it was agreed with the organizers during an ECI-UBI zoom that 30 July the evaluation will be discussed European-wide, after each country has done its national evaluation.

We should, I think, look back on our social media efforts, advertisements, press releases, our international involvement and local policies during this period. Perhaps also with the ECI-UBI of 2013-2014 in mind.

WIllem Gielingh, Robin Ketelaars

https://basisinkomen.nl

Unconditional Basic Income Europe (UBIE) stays positive

The European NGO that was started after the first ECI-UBI (basicincome2013) in 2013 stays positive about the outcome of this ECI-UBI.
“We have seen an impressive effort from UBI campaigners, despite the difficult situation with the pandemic. Four national campaigns – Slovenia, Italy, Spain, and Germany – were successful in reaching their official thresholds” said Alessandra Bianchi, Chair of Unconditional Basic Income Europe. “This is a strong signal that European decision makers need to pay attention to the basic income debate.”
“Now it is important that we keep this momentum and support initiatives around the continent that bring us closer to implementing basic income everywhere, such as the referendum initiative currently running in Berlin” Bianchi added. “Unconditional Basic Income Europe is preparing a campaign that brings together mayors who want to run basic income experiments.”

https://www.ubie.org/citizens-initiative-shows-strong-momentum-across-europe-for-basic-income/