Young, bold, and in Brussels: MEP Lukas Sieper’s vision for a new Europe

, by Mattia Fontana

Young, bold, and in Brussels: MEP Lukas Sieper's vision for a new Europe

As a newly elected Member of the European Parliament from Germany and the founder of the Party of Progress, 28 years old Lukas Sieper represents a fresh, pragmatic, and non-ideological approach to politics; known for his active presence online and commitment to engaging with young people, Sieper recently sat down with The New Federalist at the European Youth Event (EYE), and he shared his experiences as a young MEP, his vision for Europe, and his thoughts on critical issues ranging from LGBTQIA+ rights to sustainable trade and the future of European integration.

How does it feel to represent your generation as a young MEP, and what do you miss the most from your life before politics?

It’s a great feeling, and it’s vital for the young generation to be represented, especially since the average age of an MEP is 55; we are not many, and the support I receive from young people is astonishing. It’s also challenging because you have to fight harder for respect; there’s a “glass ceiling” for young people where you’re often perceived as less experienced. Overall, I’m very grateful for this position at such an early point in my life; what I miss most is simply my family, friends, and girlfriend every day.

Your voluntary military service in Germany seems to have been a formative experience: how did it influence your views on European civic duty and your decision to found the Party of Progress?

One main reason I joined the military was a feeling of duty: I wanted to give back to society. The military also taught me discipline and the importance of camaraderie. I believe voluntary service is crucial for defence, as mandatory conscription can lead to a lack of motivation. My experience also proved helpful in founding a political party, which in some ways, is comparable to an army with different departments and a hierarchical structure: many of our most reliable party members are former military or police personnel. The Party of Progress actually started as a “drinking idea” with two friends in 2020: we just decided to go for it, and in the European election, despite a minimal budget and only 20 active members, we gained a quarter-million votes.

You’re quite popular on platforms like TikTok: has social media impacted your political communication, and what has been a particularly moving message you’ve received?

Social media has definitely been impactful. The most moving message I received was from a follower who told me that my work in the LGBTQIA+ intergroup and my social media content gave him the courage to come out to his parents: being able to empower a young person for such a significant and often difficult step is truly moving.

In fact, as Vice President of the LGBTI Intergroup, you’ve spoken out strongly against hate speech and transphobia. What are the concrete steps Europe needs to take beyond symbolic gestures to ensure real political backing for queer rights?

In the short term, we must bring Hungary back in line by using treaty violation mechanisms to clarify that their pride ban and child protection law are illegal and not in accordance with European treaties. Long-term, we need to continue financing civil society efforts: their work has become harder due to funding cuts and backlash against LGBTQIA+ people globally; with a small portion of our budget, we can achieve a lot. I will also be attending Budapest Pride, and I believe the Commission should have sent a representative, ideally the Commissioner for Equality, as their absence sends a very negative message to the LGBTQIA+ community.

You are one of the most active MEPs, with over 150 speeches in your first year. What drives this commitment, and what issues do you champion most fiercely?

I fight hardest for international trade law in a humanitarian, reliable, sustainable, and economy-friendly sense, as that is what I studied; of course, LGBTQIA+ issues are also a priority. My motivation for speaking so much stems from the shame of an often-empty plenary: while much preparatory work is done outside, the plenary should be the arena of our democracy, visible to the public, but it’s often empty, which is a big mistake.

You sit on the Committees for International Trade and Transport: how are you working to make these fields more sustainable and future-proof?

In international trade, we’re focused on two main areas: updating the Corporate Social Responsibility regulations to make them more efficient and exploring the use of AI for compliance, as current regulations are too complicated, especially for small and medium enterprises. Secondly, we’re using tariffs as a tool: Europe is in a stronger global position than ever before, and we can be more confident in deciding what goods and tariffs to allow into our single market. For transport, it’s paramount that we update our system and have reliable railway transport: taking a flight from Brussels to Berlin, which is only two hours, when a train takes nine to ten hours, is ridiculous. A better transport system is crucial for combating climate change, supporting the economy, and fostering social mobility, including for young people traveling Europe; unfortunately, I don’t believe it’s a priority for the current Commission.

As a leader of your party, you’ve defined yourself as a pragmatic, non-ideological politician. What does this mean in practice within the European Parliament?

As a non-attached MEP, it means I have more freedom to decide what I want to say, as I don’t have to adhere to a group line; all my speeches are based on our party program, but I have greater flexibility. It took time to gain trust, but we’ve shown that non-attached members can do legislative work: for example, we recently tabled 10 amendments in the Inter Committee and Eurolat Parliamentary Assembly, and 8 of them passed, which is a great success.

What sets the Party of Progress apart from more established political parties?

Our biggest advantage is our strong IT competence: our party functions almost fully digitally. We use platforms like NextCloud for organizational work and Decidim for defining our program and positions; and many of our members are programmers, which allows us to be very efficient and “pack a punch” with a small budget.

What is your vision for European integration and federalism?

I firmly believe that the era of nation-states, as we know them, is gradually fading, and the European Union is increasingly taking over many of their traditional functions: my vision is a European federation within the next 50 years. I see a future where the EU operates more like a single, unified entity, similar to the United States. We are already seeing a strong sense of European identity among young people, who often feel more connected to Europe as a whole than to their individual countries. The EU, in many ways, already functions as a state, even if it’s not officially recognized as such: we have the European Commission acting as a government, Europol for law enforcement, and there are ongoing discussions and developments toward establishing a European army. This trend towards greater integration is, in my view, inevitable and necessary for Europe to remain competitive and relevant on the global stage. A more unified Europe can act more decisively and effectively in addressing challenges such as climate change, economic stability, and international security; this doesn’t mean erasing national identities, but rather creating a framework where nations can cooperate and thrive within a larger European structure.

And how do you address the rise of the far-right in Europe?

I don’t believe we are losing the fight against the far-right. There are still more progressives than populists; not to mention that, historically, reactionary forces rise and fall, but the overall trend is progressive: we need to counter their narratives and show that our solutions are better.

Regarding China, how should Europe balance economic ties with human rights concerns, especially concerning the Uyghurs?

Morally, we should stop doing business with China due to their human rights abuses, but economically, we are deeply interconnected. Yet, we must not allow China to silence its crimes: we need to speak up, support organizations helping the Uyghurs, and view China as a competitor, not a friend or partner. There’s a price to pay for upholding our values, but the EU, as a beacon of liberty, freedom, and the rule of law, must care about the world.

What do you see as the EU’s gravest mistake in its response to current international crises, such as Gaza or the migration crisis?

The gravest mistake is not consistently upholding our commitment to international law. We often follow international law only when it suits our interests, such as in sea rescue, trade, or environmental issues, but falter when it comes to human rights or political will. Examples include the slow aid to Ukraine and the inconsistent stance on the ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu: the EU must be an example for the positive development of international law.

Now, can you share a surreal or funny moment from your time as an MEP?

Well, it’s surreal to see and interact with famous politicians like Ursula von der Leyen and former German Presidents Horst Köhler and Frank-Walter Steinmeier and realize I’m actively participating in democracy at the highest level. A funny moment was telling Ursula von der Leyen that my party had voted 83% against her appointment, but that I hoped she would prove us wrong: she laughed and said she hoped so too, quite a good response!

Finally, let me say: it’s very important for MEPs to interact with youth: it’s terrible that only about 20 MEPs were present at EYE. This highlights a crucial disconnect that needs to be addressed.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Parliament. Neither the European Union nor the European Parliament can be held responsible for them.

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