Volt Deutschland

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Volt Germany

Volt Deutschland
AbbreviationVolt
LeaderPaul Loeper, Friederike Schier
ChairpersonPaulo Alexandre, Konstantin Feist, Caroline Flohr, Sophie Griesbacher
Founded3. March 2018
HeadquartersBerlin
IdeologySocial liberalism
Pro-Europeanism
European federalism
Website
https://www.voltdeutschland.org/

Volt Germany ((German: Volt Deutschland, mostly known by the abbreviated name Volt) is a Progressivism and Federalisation of the European Union political party in Germany and part of the pan-European party and political movement Volt Europa.[1]

Italian Andrea Venzon, French Colombe Cahen-Salvador and German Damian Boeselager founded Volt Europa in 2017 as a counterpart to the rising nationalism and right-wing populism in Europe.

The party has been classified as socially liberal and pro-European. The key topics are: A reform of the European Union, tackling the climate crisis, a fair and sustainable economy, and digitalization. Volt has an evidence-based, scientific approach and is highly interested in introducingBest practice.[2]

As there is no legal possibility to found a (pan-)European party, after the founding of the parent organisation Volt Europa A.I.S.B.L., national parties had to be founded to be able to participate in elections. On March 3rd 2018, Volt Germany was founded as a party in Hamburg.[3] Volt Germany's first elections were the 2019 European Parliament election|2019 European elections and they were able to win one mandate, which Damian Boeselager holds in the European Parliament.[4] At the municipal level, Volt Germany is part of the city governments of Munich,[5] Cologne[6] and Frankfurt am Main[7] among others.

The party's name is derived from the international Voltage in order to have a uniform name that is understandable throughout Europe, symbolizing "new energy" for Europe.

Policies

Programmatic development

After its foundation, the "5+1 Challenges" were adopted for the parent organization Volt Europe.[8] Soon afterwards, the European basic programme Mapping of Policies was adopted, which serves as the basis for the creation of all Volt programmes.[9] Volt Europe finally stood for the European elections in 2019 with the election programme derived from the European policy programme, the Amsterdam Declaration. Since then, the Mapping of Policies has been accompanied by several thematic documents. Together with the Mapping of Policies, these documents form the so-called Policy Portfolio, from which all national, regional and local programmes are derived.

On December 22nd 2020, Volt Germany presented the basic policy programme adapted to Germany on the basis of the Mapping of Policies and later developed the election programme for the 2021 German federal election from it.[10]

Programme

European policy

Volt sees the European Union (EU) as the most successful intergovernmental project since World War II, enabling Europe's citizens to live in peace, freedom and prosperity. At the same time, Volt believes that the often outdated, entrenched political structures of the EU are increasingly reaching their limits when facing current and future challenges. Volt is convinced that these challenges cannot be met effectively by addressing them alone at and at a national level, but only with stronger integration and more European democracy.[11]

In Volt's view, the reform of the European Union must begin with the reform of its bodies and institutions.[12] Volt calls for an EU of and by its citizens with reformed electoral law and more participation, in which the directly elected parliament and not individual heads of state and government decide the common future.[11] Volt's goal is a European federal republic that should be able to meet current challenges - from climate change to mobility transformation and Digital transformation|digitalisation, to social inequality.[13]

Climate policy

Volt aims at making Germany CO₂-neutral by 2035 and climate-neutral by 2040.[14] The party's strategy consists of an holistic approach,[15] they describe as a social-liberal transformation. For Volt, climate policy is a cross-cutting issue. It is important to the party that climate policy is designed in a socially compatible way and that the economy is set up in an economically as well as ecologically sustainable way. In order to achieve the goal of comprehensive decarbonisation, the party calls for an increase in the CO₂ price.[16] At the end of the holistic transformation there should be a circular economy.[17] The party emphasises the importance of social cohesion in the course of the transformation to climate neutrality.

Social policy

Volt strives for a community of solidarity in which social mobility and participation in prosperity of all citizens is improved. To this end, destigmatized and appropriate social security systems that enable people to Public participation in society and plan their individual lives are to be created. The core issue in this context is the common good-oriented economy in order to counteract the social divide.[11] According to Volt, the Labour economics is too bureaucratic, contains unclear legal regulations, sets the wrong incentives and lacks protection. The party, therefore, wants to create a new framework and improve employment relationships. Volt wants to reform the education system to a large extent and plans the "school of the future".[18]

The party is against discrimination of any kind and calls for direct support for those affected, Inclusion (disability rights) of people with disabilities and plans to combat racism and antisemitism.[11] With a progressive migration policy the party wants to ensure that migration is organized in a humane way and that refugees are able to improve their opportunities for participation.[17]

Volt calls for a progressive Right of asylum and immigration policy that consistently implements the human right to asylum and finds transparent regulations for immigration. Volt wants the EU to evolve in this area and achieve a common asylum policy.[11]

Economic and financial policy

Volt judges the climate crisis and growing social inequalities to be the greatest dangers for the continent and Germany.[12] Therefore, Volt combines green, liberal, and social elements in its economic policy.[15] Its self-declared goal is an "ecologically-social and economically sustainable economy", a "sustainable and generation-appropriate market economy [...] that sees opportunities instead of obstacles in decarbonization, entrepreneurship, and digitalization."[11] The party's economic policy is based on the principle of "sustainable development".

At the European level, the party wants to harmonize the EU's tax systems and reduce intra-European tax competition.[11] Election Posters 2021 German federal election Volt demands the burden on small and medium incomes to be reduced.[12] Bureaucracy must also be reduced and corporate tax rates lowered "towards a medium European level". In return, higher incomes should be taxed more heavily, as should profit from capital. Additionally, inheritance tax should be comprehensively reformed.[13]

Digital policy

In terms of digital policy, Volt advocates the nationwide expansion of Broadband connections and has set itself the goal of consistently digitizing the administration along the X-Road|lines of Estonia. To this end, Volt plans to establish a Ministry for Digital Affairs, to which the Federal Office for Information Security would be subordinated.[11]

In Volt's view, states should use the technological possibilities of our time to update public services in areas such as education, health care, and the judiciary.[12]

At the European level, Volt opposes the use of upload filters and instead advocates for a unified European Copyright law. Volt also calls for a safe and precautionary approach to artificial intelligence, as well as ethical guidelines for AI research and use.[12]

History

In 2016, Andrea Venzon from Italy, Colombe Cahen-Salvador from France and Damian Boeselager from Germany were living and studying in the United States. Dismayed by the shift to the right and rising nationalism in Europe and the US, culminating in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|Brexit referendum and 2016 United States presidential election|Trump's election, among other things, they decided to found a European citizens' movement. On March 29th 2017,[19] the day the UK declared Withdrawal from the European Union|Brexit Article 50, the non-profit association Vox Europa A.I.S.B.L.[20] was founded in Luxembourg.

Due to several reasons, Vox Europa was already renamed Volt Europa on June 19th 2018.[21] The new name, derived from the international unit for the measurement of electrical potential, is intended to describe the energy that Volt brings to the political landscape, on the one hand, and on the other hand, the word "Volt" is inclusive, as it is understood in all European languages.[22]

Due to legal regulations, it was and is not possible to found a European party. In order to be able to participate in elections, Volt had to found national parties. In March 2018, the party Volt Germany was founded as the first national offshoot of Volt Europe.[20] Today [as of 27.09.2021], Volt Europe is active in 29 countries, and officially registered as parties in 16 of them.[23]

Volt Hamburg was the first national association of Volt Germany to be founded in late 2019. By April 2021, the founding of the other 15 state associations followed, so that Volt Germany is now organized nationwide in state associations.

Volt's first elections were the 2019 European Parliament election. Due to different national registration requirements, Volt was able to participate in the elections in only eight member states. Volt contested with the same election programme, the Amsterdam Declaration, in all eight countries. In addition to noticable successes, for example in the Netherlands (1,9%)[24] and Luxembourg (2%)[25], the party was able to gain 0.7% of the votes in Germany. As a result, the leading candidate Damian Boeselager entered the EU Parliament.[26]

Volt views itself not only as a party, but also as a citizens' movement. Several initiatives, NGOs, etc. were founded, initiated or supported by Volt Europe and Volt Germany. These include the now independent aid organisation #EuropeCares,[27] the initiative and petition #StopHomelessness,[28] the initiative #ValuesOverPower, which campaigns against corruption and for the rule of law, as well as the European Citizens' Initiative|European citizens' initiative EUrotrain.[29]

Political classification

Party researcher Uwe Jun of the University of Trier assigns Volt to the left-liberal spectrum: "Above all conservative positions are missing."[30] The party is described as "Federalisation of the European Union|federal-European, Progressivism|progressive and Social liberalism|social-liberal".[31]

Prof. de Nève, a political scientist at the University of Giessen, attests that Volt appeals in particular to a younger and educated electorate to whom Europe is important.[31] However, the party does not only want to appeal to a young, urban and educated clientele, but underpins its ambitions to reach as broad a spectrum of people as possible with its programs.[32] With its pragmatic and evidence-based approach, Volt also appeals to people who are less concerned with arguing about ideologies and criticize the lack of effectiveness of politics in dealing with crises, according to Prof. Zittel of Goethe University Frankfurt|Goethe University in Frankfurt.

With its program and the focus on the topic of Europe, Volt is stepping into a political gap, according to Prof. Edgar Grande, a political scientist from Berlin. Up until now, Europe has been the subject of EU skeptics in particular. The rest of the program, too, is a "very serious attempt to draw up a catalog of values for a progressive movement in the 21st century."[33]

Organisation

The organizational structure of Volt Germany follows that of classical parties.[20] The federal association is made up of the federal executive committee and a federal finance council. Both, the executive committee and a court of arbitration, and an auditor are elected at the federal party conference.[34]

The party subdivides itself into state associations and for the first time contested in the 2021 federal election in all federal states with state lists.[35]

Volt Europa

Volt Germany is officially subordinate to the European parent organisation Volt Europa.[34] Volt Europa consists of national organisations and parties from a total of 29 countries and entered the 2019 EU election with a unified election programme.[20]

Party Executive Committee

Volt Germany's federal executive committee, elected in 2019, currently consists of a dual leadership with Friederike Schier and Paul Loeper, four vice-chairpeople (Caroline Flohr, Sophie Griesbacher, Paulo Alexandre, Konstantin Feist) and treasurer Leo Lüddecke.[36]

Regional associations

Volt Germany is organized nationwide in numerous local teams which, with the exception of a few spun-off district associations, do not form legally independent organizational units. The local teams are assigned to the respective state association.[37]

Brandenburg Bremen Hamburg Hesse Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Lower Saxony North Rhine-Westphalia Rhineland-Palatinate Saarland Saxony Saxony-Anhalt Schleswig-Holstein Thuringia
State group Founded Chairperson Result State election
Baden-Württemberg July 2020[38] Chantal Graßelt, Fabian Gaukel 2021)
colspan="2" February 2021[39] Laura Kuttler, Philipp Schmieder
Berlin August 2020 Marie-Antonia Witzmann, Steffen Daniel Meyer
Brandenburg March 2021 Evelyn Steffens, Benjamin Körner
Bremen March 2021 Anna Laura Tiessen, Maximilian Ochs
Hamburg End 2019 Mira Alexander, Kilian Muth 2020)
Hesse August 2020[40] Teresa Kraft, Nico Richter[41]
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern September 2020 Martin Finck, Lisa Rieker
Lower Saxony September 2020[42] Manuela Paula Ritter, Connor Geiger
North Rhine-Westphalia October 2020 Elisabeth Maria Anna Leifgen, Tim Marton
Rhineland-Palatinate July 2020 Alexandra Barsuhn, Ron-David Roeder[43] 2021)
Saarland March 2021 Andreea Gheorghe, Martin Duda
Saxony March 2021 Jessica Roitzsch, Toni Schmeida
Saxony-Anhalt April 2021 Nathaniel Beifuss, Luisa Strackeljan
Schleswig-Holstein April 2021 Scarlett Hurna, Christoph Thurner
Thuringia Februar 2020[44] Sophie Trautmann, Jonas Mazouz

References

  1. ↑ Schmälter, Julia. "Volt Deutschland (Volt)". bpb.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  2. ↑ Germany, hessenschau de, Frankfurt (2021-03-16). "Jung und europäisch - Volt erobert die Stadtparlamente". hessenschau.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ Schmälter, Julia. "Volt Deutschland (Volt)". bpb.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  4. ↑ magazin, Arvid Kaiser, manager. "Europawahl 2019: Volt-Gründer Damian Boeselager bekommt Sitz im Parlament". www.manager-magazin.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Effern, Heiner. "München bekommt eine grün-rote Koalition im Stadtrat". Süddeutsche.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  6. ↑ "Klüngel statt Koalition im Kölner Rat". www.t-online.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  7. ↑ Germany, hessenschau de, Frankfurt (2021-05-20). "Weniger Autos, mehr Sozialwohnungen: Koalitionsvertrag für Frankfurt steht". hessenschau.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ↑ "The 5+1 Challenges of Volt Europa". Volt Europa. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  9. ↑ Cahen-Salvador, Colombe (2019-08-03). "How do you come up with a pan-European political identity? — 31.08.2018". Medium. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  10. ↑ Horstkötter, Sira; Horstkötter, Sira (2019-12-09). "Friederike Schier von VOLT-Deutschland im Gespräch Seite 1 von 0 | UnAuf ONLINE". UnAuf ONLINE | Studierendenzeitung der HU Berlin (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 "Wahlprogramm Bundestagswahl 2021" (PDF). Volt Deutschland (in Deutsch). Volt Deutschland. Retrieved 2021-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 "Volt Deutschland Grundsatzprogramm" (PDF). voltdeutschland.org (in Deutsch). Volt Deutschland. Retrieved 2021-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Jestadt, Julian (2021-07-09). "Kleinpartei Volt tritt erstmals an: Der Traum von mehr Europa". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in Deutsch). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  14. ↑ Jestadt, Julian (2021-07-09). "Kleinpartei Volt tritt erstmals an: Der Traum von mehr Europa". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in Deutsch). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Bundestagswahlkampf: Grün — und liberal? Ihre Suche ist beendet". www.wiwo.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  16. ↑ "Landwirtschaft, Familie, CO2-Preis: Das wollen kleinere Parteien". BR24 (in Deutsch). 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Schmälter, Julia. "Volt Deutschland (Volt)". bpb.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  18. ↑ Redaktion (2021-08-31). "Direktkandidat*innen-Check: Paul Loeper (Volt Deutschland)". Prenzlauer Berg Nachrichten (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  19. ↑ "Parlamentsneuling Damian Boeselager - Auf einmal mit Berlusconi, Strache und Farage in einem Raum". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Hebenstreit, Jörg. "Volt Deutschland | Parteien in Deutschland | bpb". bpb.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  21. ↑ Disegni, Simone (2018-02-21). "I millennial di Volt vogliono dare la scossa alla Ue: rilanceremo l'Europa". Corriere della Sera (in italiano). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  22. ↑ "Fragen und Antworten". Volt Deutschland (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  23. ↑ "The Pan-European Political Movement". Volt Europa. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  24. ↑ Kiesraad (2019-05-28). "Uitslagen hoofdstembureaus Europees Parlementsverkiezing 2019 - Nieuwsbericht - Kiesraad.nl". www.kiesraad.nl (in Nederlands). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  25. ↑ "EU-Wahlen 2019: Die Ergebnisse für Luxemburg". Luxemburger Wort - Deutsche Ausgabe (in Deutsch). 2019-05-26. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  26. ↑ magazin, Arvid Kaiser, manager. "Europawahl 2019: Volt-Gründer Damian Boeselager bekommt Sitz im Parlament". www.manager-magazin.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. ↑ "Europecares - Hilfe für Moria!". Volt Deutschland (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  28. ↑ "Stop Homelessness". Volt Europa. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  29. ↑ "Eurotrain Initiative by Volt". Volt Europa. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  30. ↑ "Bundestagswahl: Wie Rebekka Müller die paneuropäische Partei Volt in den Bundestag führen will". www.handelsblatt.com (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Klein, kleiner, Kleinstparteien: Dafür stehen die Freien Wähler und Volt". Business Insider (in Deutsch). 2021-08-01. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  32. ↑ "Bunt, jung, radikal europäisch: Wie die Kleinpartei Volt bis zur Bundestagswahl aufholen will". watson.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  33. ↑ "Nur ein Strohfeuer oder Potential für den Bundestag – Was steckt hinter der Volt-Partei?". stern.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 "Satzung Volt Deutschland" (PDF). Volt Deutschland. Volt Deutschland.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. ↑ Goldmann, Anne. "Volt Deutschland | Volt | Bundestagswahl 2021 | Wer steht zur Wahl?". bpb.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  36. ↑ "Volt Deutschland" (PDF). bundeswahlleiter.de. bundeswahlleiter.de: Bundeswahlleiter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ↑ "Städte und Gemeinden". Volt Deutschland (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  38. ↑ "Volt Baden-Württemberg gegründet!". Volt Baden-Württemberg (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  39. ↑ "Zwei Oberfranken führen neuen Landesverband der Partei Volt an" (in Deutsch). 2021-03-01.
  40. ↑ Volt Hessen feiert Gründungsparteitag, 8. August 2020, retrieved on 12 February 2021.
  41. ↑ https://twitter.com/voltdeutschland/status/1296520374272892931Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  42. ↑ Es ist vollbracht – der 7. Volt Landesverband in Niedersachsen ist gegründet!, 10. September 2020, retrieved 27 February 2021.
  43. ↑ KG, VRM GmbH & Co (2020-07-20). "Volt-Landesverband Rheinland-Pfalz gegründet". www.allgemeine-zeitung.de (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  44. ↑ "Volt - die neue Partei für Thüringen". Volt Thüringen (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2021-09-27.

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