A new chapter for The New European

What began as a four week pop-up experiment, run by Archant, a local media company based in Norwich, to chronicle the aftermath of the 2016 Brexit vote soon became a small but ever-present fixture in the unfolding drama of Brexit.

Now, four and a half years and 230 issues later, The New European has been bought from Archant by a group of investors united in a belief that there is both a need and a growing market for a progressive, quality periodical to bring a fresh perspective on the UK’s changing relationship with Europe.

Amongst our investors are some of the leading lights in technology and world media, including former FT editor Lionel Barber, former BBC director general and New York Times CEO Mark Thompson and Taavet Hinrikus, founder of Transferwise.

What have they suddenly seen in this newspaper, that you – our readers – have known for some time?

Well, for a start, they understand The New European is filled to the brim with high-quality, interesting and original content. They also understand that it is neither brayingly right wing or left wing, but reflects a growing dissatisfaction with old fashioned party politics and legacy media drawn up on those same, tired, battle lines.

They see we are different. That we pride ourselves on the quality of journalism, and have always tried to shine a light on some of the stories you would rarely find on the pages of traditional periodicals. Our coverage of European issues and events is a central part of our DNA. Now, with fresh investment and fresh ideas, that breadth of coverage and analysis will grow.

And they know that The New European is not just about politics. To us, European culture is every bit as important as European politics. Our arts and culture coverage reflects the brilliant diversity and richness that makes Europe so very special. We will grow and improve on this front too.

After four and half years, and with Britain’s exit from the EU sealed, it’s a good time for us to take stock and consider what this second chapter in The New European story hopes to achieve.

We will always hold politicians of every persuasion to account. The passage of time has not made the circumstances of Brexit any easier to bear, but it has eroded the power of well-worn arguments about the iniquities of the vote. We’ve all got to look forward now, arguing our case with an eye to the future, not an eye on the past.

The New European has always been founded on a constructive, optimistic – and deeply patriotic – vision where greater understanding and awareness of our inextricable ties to Europe is a good thing. In this essential regard nothing has changed in our view from Issue #1 to today.

When the newspaper launched, it described itself as the “Paper for the 48%”. That fighting spirit is still very much alive; we had rough-edges then, and we have rough-edges now. As our front covers demonstrate, our style is vibrant, on occasion punchy even, but it’s always rooted in the highest regard for truth and transparency.
That, too, will never change.

In the coming months you will notice changes to the newspaper and website as we invest in content, and much-needed marketing.

We hope all these changes, as well as the design improvements we will bring to both our newspaper and digital offerings, will be changes for the better, but only you will be able to say for sure. I’d love to hear from you about how we’re doing as we move forward on this fantastic voyage. My email is matt@tnepublishing.com.

PS: This week sees the resurrection of one of Europe’s most-fabled sports columns. For nearly 40 years Rob Hughes brought a unique perspective on global soccer to the International Herald Tribune. We’re thrilled that Rob has joined us. His column is a brilliant read, whether you are a football obsessive or not. 

What do you think? Have your say on this and more by emailing letters@theneweuropean.co.uk