Volt Europa before the 2019 elections

A truly pan‑European political party? One programme for all of Europe, individual membership, shared funding and a single headquarters?

Some might say that European Parliament elections would become clearer. Others might argue they would become more democratic. And still others believe in acting rather than talking. Thus Volt Europa was born. In Slovakia the movement remains largely unknown; in France it even appears on national television.

Volt Europa is running in this year’s European Parliament elections. But given its youth and limited recognition across Europe, we cannot expect a major victory—at least not yet. Perhaps in five or ten years we will hear more of them, depending on their activity and growth.

They offer real change: a change in how politics is conducted within the European Union. Paradoxically, they criticise what Eurosceptics also focus on—the so‑called democratic deficit of the EU.

For this election, their aim is to introduce the very idea of a pan‑European party: one programme, one membership, one funding model and one headquarters. The opposite of today’s system, where each member state fields, on average, five different parties with five different platforms—some 140 conflicting party programmes in total. It’s no wonder voters ask, “What difference can a handful of MEPs from a small country really make?”

This post does not claim that one model is superior to the other; it simply points out that both possibilities may coexist in the future—and that there are people working to make it happen.

Want to know more about Volt Europa? Read: Why am I a Member of Volt Europa? Real Positive Change, and an Innovative Approach

If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, feel free to drop me a message at mail@richardgolian.com.