Dear reader,

The idea is more important than the person; however, it is hard to believe in an idea if you do not know who created the idea.

My name is Michaël Marchal and I live in a town between Brussels and Antwerp (Belgium). My parents gave my brothers and me an open-minded education with no political preference. They taught us that hard work, loyalty, and strong family-bindings are important.

My education, the jobs I did and the job I am currently doing made me who I am. My wife encourages me to speak my mind and supported me when I told her about my plans to start a political party. She also sometimes smoothened the sharp edges without changing the idea.

There is one main approach to the idea and that is our co-existence on this planet. We are not solitary individuals: we live together with other people, animals, and nature. We need nature, and each other to survive.

 I am not an eco-freak; “eco-logy” and “eco-nomy” however need our support and fast. Steps are being taken by politics, the time to implement the decisions is set too far in the future. At the current pace, our children will look at us one day and ask why we did not act sooner. Taking a step, even if it is not in the best direction, is better than not moving at all.

Looking at the challenges the EU-parliament must face to get an agreement from all members of the European Union or even creating a government in member states of the European Union, or the overall way democracy is dealt with worldwide make it clear to me that democracy is under pressure. There is no doubt that this pressure is a great threat to our freedom and the peace we had for many years. In politics, there is no good and bad, there are only different views. And it is good to have the freedom of different opinions, this means democracy still lives. The change from a moderate, “open to discussion” politics to a more extreme left and right politics is an understandable, yet undemocratic, change. My idea is to create a strong centre party that is open to discussion and can see the good in ideas from left and right.

I do not claim to hold the truth, I just know it is time to act. I am like the little light from a single candle, and I can only hope that others want to share that light with me and that we can create a light that can be seen from all over the world and brightens up our planet.

Sincerely Yours,

Michaël Marchal