From the Harz Mountains to the Lüneburg Heath, from the banks of the Elbe to the summer toboggan run, from university culture to cutting-edge research – all of this is Lower Saxony, my home state where I grew up and have my roots. For me, home is a feeling of security and familiarity, of acceptance and understanding.

I love the vast meadows in Lower Saxony, hot tea with a ‘cloud’ of cream, and our typical villages with their red brick houses and white fences that greet me when I come home from Brussels during my time off.

All this – and much more – make this charming corner of the world and its special inhabitants so unique for me!

And it all exists because it has been able to grow and prosper under the umbrella of the European Union with its commitment to peace and its prosperous economy over the past decades.

Europe is a success story. Born out of the ruins of the Second World War, it has found its way through various economic crises and has always proven itself to be a guarantor of peace, freedom and stability for the federation of states. This is something we can be proud of! And today more than ever, it is important to protect and defend our union. We cannot overcome the complex challenges of a global world on our own. We need the cohesion and cooperation of the 27 member states to survive the “anything goes” attitude of Silicon Valley and the “social scoring” of China. Instead, we need to create our own, European way of life. This is my conviction.

And I ask you to join me. Let’s work together!

Sincerely,
Lena Düpont