Voices of Europe is a global community. We’re headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, but the collaborative and global nature of our work means we have staffers, advisors and volunteers in all of Europe. If you want to join our team, send us a message. We are always on the lookout for volunteers.
Simon David de Tusch-Lec
What is the background for Voices of Europe? Brexit shocked me. It seemed, the European nations hadn’t fashioned convincing responses to the siren songs of the populist parties. And suddenly some EU governments were even singing along. It was frightening, and it still is.
Populists claim that they—and they alone—represent the people. That is the decisive criterion. Populism isn’t a a specific position on a policy issue. It is a particular claim concerning representation. As Europe changes, some groups feel anxious and left behind. It has always been like that. And it has always paved the way for populists who claim to represent the people. But they very rarely represent the people. Neither when they belong to the left or right political wing. Financial crisis and demographic shifts rippling across the European nations are fueling fears that their culture and standing are under threat. These fears need to be addressed, and the people must have their say. If not, we’re simply passing the ball the populists. This kind of environment plays directly into the hands of populist demagogues. They benefit from apathy, and they thrive upon anger and fear.
What is the idea behind Voices of Europe? The idea is simple, I think. We wish to present Europe from a human perspective. That doesn’t mean abandoning or distorting facts, but to present Europe through honest and interesting human stories.
The essential emotions that drive populism are a sense of lost privileges, disappointment, resentment and a sense of threatened identity. The European project has countless areas of achievement that can be capitalized on to win back the hearts and minds of Europeans who have these feelings. That is what we attend to do. To showcase these areas of achievement and to give people a voice. That is the idea behind Voices of Europe.
What do you hope Voices of Europe will achieve? Unity is European citizens’ fortress against the flood waters of populism that engulfs our liberal democracies. I believe that our shared culture and history can unify us. Populists highlight problems. And we shouldn’t be afraid to do so too. We need to voice our concerns, beliefs and dreams. We need to voice what problems to be resolved.
What is your favourite European city? Besides from Copenhagen, where I live. Barcelona. There are always many possibilities for a perfect day in Barcelona.
What’s your favourite European language? Finnish.
Simon David de Tusch-Lec,
Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief
With a mission to do what he loves, Simon established the creative bureau Move Copenhagen back in 2002. Move Copenhagen’s goal is to improve society by producing good-cause campaigns that achieve high levels of community education, self-efficacy and beneficial behavior change. Simon has an academic background in media and political science and draws on behavioral psychology in his work as the creative force of the agency and as director of film ads. Simon has an expertise in creating campaigns and PSA’s for institutions, NGO’s and ministries. Simon has helped a long list of clients creating societal attitude and behavioral changes. Simon has won prizes for film spots for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration and the Department of Human Rights.
