Summary:
The Save Europe Act, a European Citizens’ Initiative calling for EU-level remigration measures and restrictions on non-Western immigration, has continued to gather substantial public support since its launch in late May 2026. The independent campaign website now records 587,759 signatures. On 15 July organisers delivered the first half-million-plus signatures to the European Parliament in Brussels. On 22 July the European Commission formally refused to register the initiative, ruling that it was manifestly contrary to the values of the Union, specifically the prohibition on discrimination on grounds of race and ethnic origin. Organisers Eva Vlaardingerbroek and Martin Sellner immediately rejected the decision, describing it as an outrageous violation of the democratic rights of native Europeans, and stated that they will take action against it and will not back down. The independent signature drive continues while the formal ECI route remains closed.
Detailed Report
1. Background: The Save Europe Act
The Save Europe Act is a European Citizens’ Initiative launched in late May 2026 by Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek and Austrian activist Martin Sellner. It calls for a temporary or broader halt to non-Western immigration channels (including study and family-reunification visas), stronger external border protection, faster returns of rejected asylum seekers, restriction of welfare incentives, and an EU framework for the remigration of unintegrated non-European migrants. The initiative grounds its proposals in Article 4(2) of the Treaty on European Union, which requires the EU to respect the national identities of its member states.
2. From 100,000 to Nearly 590,000 Signatures
The campaign collected more than 100,000 signatures within days of its launch. It passed the 500,000 mark in early July. On 15 July 2026 organisers delivered the first half-million-plus physical signatures to the European Parliament after successfully challenging a local ban on their demonstration in the Belgian courts. As of 23 July, the independent campaign website records 587,759 signatures. The largest numbers have come from the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain and France. These signatures have been collected on the organisers’ own platform and remain unofficial. Formal ECI signatures can be collected only after the Commission registers an initiative.
3. EU Commission Refuses to Register the Initiative
On 22 July 2026 the European Commission refused to register the Save Europe Act. In its public notice the Commission stated that the initiative “did not fulfil the formal conditions under the ECI Regulation – namely that an initiative cannot be manifestly contrary to the values enshrined under the Treaty and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.”
The Commission held that the proposal’s framing — a moratorium on new non-Western immigration channels together with language concerning the ethnic and cultural continuity of Europe’s native peoples and opposition to demographic replacement — constitutes discrimination on grounds of race and ethnic origin. This was judged contrary to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as settled case-law of the Court of Justice.
4. Organizers’ Vow to Contest the Decision
Eva Vlaardingerbroek stated on 22 July that she and Martin Sellner had received the email from the European Commission rejecting registration of the Save Europe Act. She described the decision as “an outrageous violation of the democratic rights of the native peoples of Europe” and declared: “We will not back down.”
The official Save Europe Act account posted the same day: “The European Commission has just officially refused to register the Save Europe Act as a Citizens’ Initiative, discarding the voices of nearly 600,000 European patriots. According to them, wanting to halt open-ended non-Western mass immigration and protect the demographic continuity of Europe’s peoples is ‘racial discrimination’ of third nationals and goes ‘contrary to EU values.’ Their motivation is vague, weak and telling of their true anti-democratic nature. We will not stop here. We are going to
take action against this decision. The fight continues. Europe’s peoples are not required to accept their own demographic disappearance as a ‘value.’”
5. Current Status
The independent signature collection continues on the campaign website. The formal European Citizens’ Initiative process remains closed following the Commission’s refusal. Organisers have indicated that further announcements regarding action against the decision are forthcoming.
Conclusion
Nearly 590,000 signatures have been recorded for the Save Europe Act on its independent platform. The European Commission has blocked formal registration on the grounds that the initiative is manifestly contrary to EU values on non-discrimination. Organisers have rejected that ruling, stated their intention to take action against it, and continue to collect signatures while preparing their next steps.