MECSTDMake Europe's Citizens Sovereign Through Digitalization
Europe has everything. Just no digital home.
Data is the new gold. Tokens are the new currency.
Let's finally start mining gold.
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Month after month, we as European citizens and businesses transfer billions of euros to US tech corporations (see statistics below). On top of that, we give away vast amounts of personal and anonymised data of all kinds.
Europe has everything it needs to live in peace and prosperity. Intact industry, infrastructure, rule-of-law governance, innovative capacity, and more. But for how much longer? What we lack is the courage and the capacity to act together.
The message
Europe needs a digital self-confidence.
Make Europe's Citizens Sovereign Through Digitalization is both a call to action and a blueprint. The idea: the European Union creates the foundation for an open, sovereign digital ecosystem — a platform on which European apps are built according to European principles. Starting with a digital identity (ID) for citizens and an EU messenger (CHAT) modelled on WhatsApp. Growing into something that makes our digital lives truly self-determined.
Not against others. For ourselves. Fast. Smart. From Europe, for Europe.
As of May 2026; Source: ChatGPT prompt "Create a table of the top 4 categories of monthly expenditure by citizens and businesses in the European Union to US tech companies in euros. Exclude streaming & entertainment expenditure."
Make Europe's Citizens Sovereign Through Digitalization
Principles
The values by which MECSTD and all participants operate. Those who join accept these rules — and will be the ones who benefit.
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Our attitude — how we act
01
Bold & self-confident
We act decisively, even when the path is new.
02
Loyal & reliable
Trust is the foundation. We keep our word.
03
Fast & smart
It's not the big that eat the small — it's the fast that eat the slow.
04
Peaceful & united
United by Freedom. We build for everyone, not against others.
05
Proud of Europe
We draw from a rich history — and shape the future.
06
Citizens first
Primary goal: a good, future-proof life for all EU citizens.
Rules of engagement — applicable to all participants
Data stays in Europe. Data is predominantly stored and processed on EU-based cloud infrastructure.
European value creation first. Participating companies pay at least 80% of their taxes within the EU.
Anonymity protects the individual. Personal data may only be shared outside this platform in anonymised, non-traceable form.
Digital ethics by European standards. Guided by EU values and the concept of digital ethics — drawing on the work of Sarah Spiekermann / Future Foundation.
Who do the principles apply to?
Companies
Participation requires acceptance of all principles. Violations lead to exclusion.
Authorities
National and EU authorities operate under the same principles.
MECSTD itself
The initiative holds itself to its own rules first.
"Everyone who participates will benefit — citizens, companies, authorities. The advantages should be obvious enough that following the rules will come naturally."
Make Europe's Citizens Sovereign Through Digitalization
The five questions
Who is behind this? What do we want? Why now? When does it start? How do we do it?
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Who are we?
Who
We are the citizens of Europe — increasingly falling behind in the digital race, watching our data flow daily to corporations outside our continent.
Diese Initiative wurde von einem EU-Bürger ins Leben gerufen, der seit Jahren die digitale Transformation beobachtet und sich dabei mehr und mehr Sorgen um die Zukunft Europas macht. Mehr dazu auf der Seite Contact.
Anyone can contribute — from sharing an opinion to actively building:
EU citizens who want digital sovereignty
Developers, DevOps engineers, security experts
Lawyers, philosophers, ethicists
Representatives of national and EU authorities
European companies willing to uphold the principles
Investors, sponsors and visionary patrons
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What do we want?
What
We want the EU to lay the groundwork — a framework that can be continuously built upon — to enable European citizens to live their digital lives more independently of the dominant tech companies outside Europe.
Concretely: an open platform with European apps built on European principles.
EU App Store with core apps: ID, CHAT, MAIL, DATA, VOTE
Open extensions by European third-party providers
A personal AI agent for every EU citizen — built on European principles
Digital value creation that stays in Europe and is reinvested here
"The primary purpose is to rapidly slow the permanent outflow of money to established tech companies and redirect it into European projects."
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Why now?
Why
Europe is not blessed with natural resources. The economy is struggling, the automotive industry is in crisis. Where are the economic means to come from — if not from the digital economy?
Our dependence on US tech giants grows daily — in communication, payments, identity, AI
Humanoid robots are coming soon: we may be able to build the hardware in Europe, but we will fall short on the software — the "brain" (AI). It is high time to catch up on AI.
Wir sind spät dran — aber was ist die Alternative? Den Kopf in den Sand zu stecken?
"We can do it differently. We can do it better."
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When does it start?
When
Sofort. It's not the big that eat the small — it's the fast that eat the slow. MECSTD ist eine Unionsaufgabe: Die EU muss eine Institution schaffen, die dieses Projekt federführend übernimmt. Kein Warten auf Ratifizierung durch alle 27 Mitgliedsstaaten.
Phase 1 · Now
Establish an EU institution. Define principles. Build cloud infrastructure. Develop the ID concept and prepare the first citizen identities.
Phase 2 · 6–12 months
EU messenger (CHAT) in pilot operation — from Europe, for Europe. Data stays in Europe.
Phase 3 · Beyond
Step-by-step expansion: MAIL, DATA, VOTE — with extensions by European third-party providers starting in parallel wherever possible.
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How do we do it?
How
Boldly, quickly and smartly — within the framework of European values. Parallel workstreams from day one:
Legal & Principles — define the rules, establish the EU institution
DevOps & Cloud — build EU infrastructure: cloud, security, SMTP, AI platform
Government — engage national and EU authorities, leverage synergies
Funding — EU funding pools, pioneer member states, European sponsors
Community — recruit allies, mobilise the public
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." — Confucius
Make Europe's Citizens Sovereign Through Digitalization
The Apps
One platform, many apps — provided by the EU or developed by European third-party providers according to our principles.
User-friendlyFastCustomisableHardware-independentMobile · PC · Watch · CarData stays in Europe
Core Apps
Provided by the EU — the indispensable foundation of the platform.
ID Citizens Identity
The central citizen identity — as official as a passport, complemented by private pseudonymous IDs. The foundation for all other apps.
Official EU IDPseudonymous IDsID card · Driving licenceBiometrics
CHAT EU Messenger
The centrepiece of the initiative — a European WhatsApp. Fast, modern, user-friendly. The killer app to get things started.
MessengerEncryptedBusiness variantEU data
MAIL EU E-Mail
European e-mail service on EU servers. Official communication with authorities, as well as personal use. No US providers, no data sharing.
EU serversOfficial mailPersonal & official
DATA EU Cloud Storage
Personal cloud storage in Europe — the alternative to iCloud and OneDrive. Share content with others. Your data belongs to you.
EU cloudSharingBackupFile management
VOTE EU Democracy
Digital voting at EU level — referendums, citizens' initiatives, European elections. Making the voice of citizens heard more often and more directly.
National and EU-wide access to public authorities. Official correspondence, authority finder — with AI assistance to navigate to the right office.
Official mailAuthority finderAI agent
SIGN Digital Signature
Legally binding digital signing of agreements and documents. The European alternative to DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat Sign.
Legally bindingeIDAS-compliantContracts
Extensions
By European third-party providers — developed and certified according to MECSTD principles.
MAP EU Navigation
Europe's own Google Maps — built on Galileo and European geodata. Central to automotive, tourism, traffic and local advertising.
Galileo GPSNavigationPublic transport
BANK EU Finance
Banking and payments under EU law. The European alternative to Visa, Mastercard and US wallet services — based on PSD2 and blockchain.
PSD2EU walletBanking
SHOP EU Marketplace
Die europäische Alternative zu Amazon — ein Marktplatz für Waren und Dienstleistungen aus Europa. Europäische Unternehmen wie Spotify, Willhaben oder Shopify sind eingeladen, auf dieser Plattform teilzunehmen.
EU vendorsMarketplacePharmacy
TRAVEL EU Mobility
Travel, transport, public transit — real-time Europe-wide, digital toll vignettes, all bookings in one app.
Real-time transitBookingDigital vignette
EAT EU Gastronomy
Find restaurants, book tables, QR-code menus — personalised to dietary preferences and allergies from your ID profile. Verified reviews only.
Restaurant finderReservationsVerified reviews
DOC EU Health
Digital healthcare: doctor appointments, pharmacy, insurance — and eventually a replacement for national health cards.
Doctor appointmentsHealth card replacementInsurance
SOCIAL EU Debate
A space for discussion — a European alternative to X and Facebook. Verified users only, clear rules, a democratic culture of debate.
DiscussionVerified usersEU values
STATS EU Insights
Statistics from citizen surveys — anonymised and public, and as a revenue stream for EU companies. A complement to Eurostat.
SurveysAnonymisedEurostat complement
Hinweis: STATS könnte auch in den Bereich der EU Core Apps verschoben werden.
Note: STATS and DOC could also be moved into the EU Core Apps category.
Make Europe's Citizens Sovereign Through Digitalization
Updates
Ongoing thoughts, new developments, observations from the digital world — and what they mean for MECSTD.
15 May 2026Vision & Strategy
The EU App Store — a blueprint takes shape
My wish is concrete: the EU creates the foundation for an EU App Store and makes the first apps available — for MAIL, CHAT, ID, VOTE, DATA. Not as the project of a single country, but as a Union task.
Central to this platform is the citizen's ID. Every citizen has at least one official ID — similar to a passport. In addition, private IDs can be created for everyday use.
"Data is the new gold. Tokens are the new currency. Let's start mining gold."
What does Europe still have? Industry, prosperity, infrastructure, peace, innovation. The foundation is there. What is missing is the political will to build on it.
12 October 2025AI & Technology
The personal AI agent will overshadow everything else
I have to say it plainly: the personal AI assistant will overshadow everything else. As a user, I no longer need anything else to navigate the internet — research, bookings, doctor appointments, shopping. The AI knows my calendar and handles it all.
"Do we in the EU have any chance of building something like this? Not if all 27 EU member states have to think separately."
What we need: 1 EU mail server on 1 EU cloud platform with 1 EU directory service — and 1 AI solution built on European principles. That is MECSTD.
10 October 2025eIDAS & Identity
eIDAS 2.0 and the EUDI Wallet — opportunity or missed chance?
A burning question: will it be possible to log into various platforms with an EU ID — just as one can today with an Apple ID or Google account? That would be a huge step forward.
"Let's not cede the field to DocuSign and Adobe. It's good that eIDAS is coming. But it needs to become more than a digital ID card."
The goal: to multiply digital value creation in the EU over the next three years. Every euro that does not flow to US tech companies is doubly beneficial — it slows their growth and gives us momentum.
28 September 2025Politics & Regulation
"EU threatens US tech giants with legal action again" — Laughable.
What if WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram were no longer available free of charge to EU citizens one day? What would we do then? Do we have a plan?
"Yes, we are late — perhaps too late. But what is the alternative? To bury our heads in the sand?"
More entries to follow regularly
This page grows with the project. New observations, developments and thoughts will be added on an ongoing basis — from Europe, for Europe.
Make Europe's Citizens Sovereign Through Digitalization
Contact
I am an EU citizen from the country of Max Schrems and Peter Steinberger — Max Schrems stands for data privacy and digital rights; Peter Steinberger is a driver of digital transformation and a true innovator.
For years I have been observing the digital transformation — and growing ever more concerned about Europe's future. This initiative is my contribution: a call to action, but above all a blueprint.
For the time being I wish to remain anonymous. What matters is not who I am, but what we can set in motion together.
I chose the first names of my pseudonym in memory of my parents. The surname I share with a famous Austrian family of musicians. My profile picture was drawn by some AI from the United States.
EU citizenAustriaDigital sovereigntyMECSTD initiator
Would you like to share feedback, get involved, contribute an idea, or simply get in touch? I welcome every message — whether you are a fellow builder, a critic, or simply curious.
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Deine Daten werden ausschließlich zur Beantwortung deiner Nachricht verwendet und nicht an Dritte weitergegeben. Kein Newsletter, kein Tracking. Ganz im Sinne von MECSTD: Deine Daten gehören dir.
