Discussion
Now, let's be honest. We know what it looks like when organisations show up, cross-post for two weeks, and disappear. We don't want to be that. But we're a small team with limited resources, so we need this to work both ways.
Engage with us. Challenge us. Tell us what you want to see from a European political party in this space. Help us make this worth it, for all of us.
This is the start of a conversation, not a campaign. Let's talk. 💜
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@VoltEuropa Welcome.
And let’s get started then:
• What is your position on Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza?
• Ditto on the unlawful war of aggression being waged by the US and Israel?
• What’s your take on Frontex and the EU’s inhumane refugee policies. Will these continue as business as usual with your or will you reform them?
• What’s your position on Chat Control and Age Verification?
• Does your sovereign tech strategy rely on recreating Silicon Valley in the EU (with VC-funded startups, etc.) or do you favour a common-based tech stack funded from and designed to serve the commons.
• If we created a United States of Europe, how do we ensure it doesn’t turn on the United States of America (but with different people at the helm?)
• Related to the above: Do you see a future for an unelected European Commission in the future and what’s your stance on proportional representation?
Thanks + regardless of your answers good to see a group engaging here instead of avoiding it completely (*waves at Diem25*) or just broadcasting.
@aral I know that @voltnederland is at least in favour of the European ICE, #Frontex. Don't know about @VoltEuropa .
@joenepraat @aral @voltnederland I got a response for you from @voltnederland, based on their electoral programme:
"The European Border and Coast Guard, Frontex, will be fundamentally reformed, become independent from national governments, and be accountable to the European Parliament. Volt calls for a common EU search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean, in line with calls from the European Parliament.
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We want inspectors at the borders so that countries guilty of pushing back refugees can be brought before the courts. Volt believes that countries engaging in so-called pushbacks should no longer receive support to control their external borders.
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@VoltEuropa @joenepraat @aral @voltnederland
What you should want is open borders for any civilian and investments clauses against too much capital being invested in the wrong kind of economy (((post)neoliberal) capitalist economy).
Freedom of movement for people, not for money
@VoltEuropa @voltnederland I knew this already. You want to reform the European ICE. Frontex with or without reforms is a death machine and should be abolished completely! #AbolishFrontex !
We want inspectors at the borders so that countries guilty of pushing back refugees can be brought before the courts. Volt believes that countries engaging in so-called pushbacks should no longer receive support to control their external borders.
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@joenepraat @aral @voltnederland I got a response for you from @voltnederland, based on their electoral programme:
"The European Border and Coast Guard, Frontex, will be fundamentally reformed, become independent from national governments, and be accountable to the European Parliament. Volt calls for a common EU search and rescue operation in the Mediterranean, in line with calls from the European Parliament.
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@aral 3. This is a statement from our MEP Anna Strolenberg:
"Conservative and far-right parties formed a majority and voted yes to a new return regulation. Expanding deportation centres outside EU borders.
I visited an existing center in Albania myself. What I saw made a deep impression on me. This wasn't a reception centre; it was a prison. Now imagine a prison like this, but further away. In Uganda for example. With zero oversight from the European countries sending people there.
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This isn't just a human rights issue. The more Europe outsources its responsibilities, the more dependent and vulnerable we become in an increasingly unstable world.
The Netherlands is pushing for these hubs. Germany, Austria, Denmark and Greece are too.
We do not accept this outcome. We will challenge this decision.
Because the Europe I believe in does not offshore its values, it lives by them."
@aral @VoltEuropa
Great questions
I would also like to know,
What their standpoints are on digital id?
@jejollyroger @aral Digital ID done right means freedom, not surveillance. Volt backs a full roll-out of the EU Digital Identity Wallet: one secure wallet storing your EU ID, national ID, and public certificates across all Member States. User-controlled. Decentralised. Privacy-first. Because seamless public services shouldn't come at the cost of your data.
@aral @VoltEuropa yes, I'm also interested in your response to these questions.
@aral @VoltEuropa to add one of my own, how do you propose to address regulatory capture and malicious compliance, especially in sectors with corporations of exceptional size, wealth and influence.
@aral And finally #5: We stand for pragmatic synthesis. One of Europe's biggest weaknesses is that startups are forced to go to the US to find the capital they need to scale, as the EU VC market is fragmented (money is plenty, but stuck in national silos). This is why we advocate for the EU Inc so that it is easy to open a company for any European, as well as for an investor to invest. Said this, we defend commons-based infrastructure, making data and platforms interoperable. No walled gardens.
@aral 8. On the Commission and proportional representation: we want a directly elected EU Prime Minister from the EP, a cabinet accountable via confidence votes. For EP elections: a mixed local and proportional system, one person one vote. An unelected executive answerable to no one is not our vision for Europe.
@aral 7. On the EP: it should be a real parliament. We call for full legislative initiative rights for MEPs, co-decision on all EU legislation, and qualified majority replacing national vetoes. The EP should not need to politely ask the Commission to consider proposing a law. That is a structural flaw we intend to fix.
@aral 6. On a Federal Europe that doesn't replicate US-style power concentration: design matters. We call for a citizen-driven constitutional convention, subsidiarity embedded in law, enforceable social rights, and an independent judiciary. Democratic legitimacy at every level, not power concentration with a European flag on it.
@aral 4. On Chat Control and age verification: A clear no. Mass surveillance is not an acceptable trade-off, from states or corporations. We support end-to-end encryption and oppose any proposal that breaks it. Age verification requiring mass data collection poses unacceptable privacy risks. Citizens should never accept surveillance as the default.
@aral 3. This is a statement from our MEP Anna Strolenberg:
"Conservative and far-right parties formed a majority and voted yes to a new return regulation. Expanding deportation centres outside EU borders.
I visited an existing center in Albania myself. What I saw made a deep impression on me. This wasn't a reception centre; it was a prison. Now imagine a prison like this, but further away. In Uganda for example. With zero oversight from the European countries sending people there.
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@aral 2. On military action outside the UN framework and international law: our position is consistent, whoever is acting. Bypassing the UN weakens the rules-based order and sets dangerous precedents.
@aral 1. On occupied Palestine: Volt demands the EU suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, halt trade from occupied territories, and sanction settler organisations and the politicians enabling them. This isn't politics. It's compliance with international law.
https://volteuropa.org/news/stop-settler-terrorism-displacement-and-annexation-in-occupied-palestine
@VoltEuropa What I would really want from a European party: give me the right to vote in the country I live in (work, pay taxes, buy a house, send my kids to school, ...)! That would be way more meaningful for me than voting in my country of origin.
@wiebiwetter
You work here. You pay taxes here. You send your kids to school here. But you still can't vote here.That's not democracy, that's a relic.
Volt wants to change that: extend voting rights from municipal level to regional, national and presidential elections. Because where you live is where politics affects you.
@VoltEuropa What are the concrete steps you do in that direction?
@wiebiwetter Fair question. Honest caveat: Volt does not hold legislative power. What we do: campaign hard for this. It's in our programme, written by members living exactly this reality across 30+ countries. That is precisely why a genuinely European party matters. Every other European 'party' is actually a coalition of national parties with different programmes. We are one party. One programme. Everywhere. And we are making this case in every member state at once.
@dotmavriq Thanks for asking! The "Shine 29" strategy is our roadmap for 2024 to 2029: https://volteuropa.org/shine-2029-our-plan-for-the-next-5-years
We focus on transforming the EU into a truly democratic federal state.:
1. Smart State: Digitalising public services and investing in education.
2. Economic Renaissance: A circular, green, and innovative economy.
3. Social Equality: Ending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities.
4. Global Balance: Promoting peace, security, and climate justice globally.
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5. Citizen Empowerment: Using citizen assemblies to give you a direct voice.
+1: EU Reform: Building a federal democracy with an elected government and a European Army.
Regarding "not at all costs": Volt advocates for the **principle of subsidiarity**. Decisions should be made at the most local level possible. We also propose a **European Constitution** to protect member states from democratic backsliding and ensure clear safeguards for national identities within the federation.
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@dotmavriq Thanks for asking! The "Shine 29" strategy is our roadmap for 2024 to 2029: https://volteuropa.org/shine-2029-our-plan-for-the-next-5-years
We focus on transforming the EU into a truly democratic federal state.:
**1. Smart State:** Digitalising public services and investing in education.
**2. Economic Renaissance:** A circular, green, and innovative economy.
**3. Social Equality:** Ending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities.
**4. Global Balance:** Promoting peace, security, and climate justice globally.
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@VoltEuropa welcome to the Fediverse!
Some sore points:
1) Stop/eliminate Chat Control.
2) promote Free and Open Source Software projects.
3) enforce GDPR - especially Big Tech.
4) privacy friendly/preserving digital ID.
5) Lobby Control / combat Corruption / more Transparency & Accountability on EU-level.
@chiefbongo Thank you for the warm welcome and for sharing these critical points. Your concerns regarding digital rights and transparency are central to our vision for a reformed Europe. Volt opposes Chat Control. We advocate for the right to encryption and anonymity online. We also push for the "Public Money, Public Code" principle to prioritize Open Source software.
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On accountability: we propose a stronger EU Ethics Body and stricter lobby controls to combat corruption. We want an EU that leads by example, protecting citizens from both corporate overreach and state surveillance.
We hear your skepticism. Our goal is a federal Europe that is truly democratic and held accountable by its citizens.
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@chiefbongo Thank you for the warm welcome and for sharing these critical points. Your concerns regarding digital rights and transparency are central to our vision for a reformed Europe. Volt opposes Chat Control. We advocate for the right to encryption and anonymity online. We also push for the "Public Money, Public Code" principle to prioritize Open Source software.
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@VoltEuropa Welcome! I gave you a follow. I met the team of Volt Paris at an event earlier this year, and looked for them on Mastodon, but didn't find them. Maybe you can tell them to join too.
Hey @Enea90 - thanks for following. Make sure to add https://mstdn.social/@VoltFrance@piaille.fr to your list, too.
@VoltEuropa Thanks for the tip, I gave them a follow.
So, this should be simple: why do your Finnish chapter communicate (apparently) exclusively on Instagram?
@VoltEuropa
@osma We have asked our Finnish chapter and were informed that this is only temporary as the new board is settling.
@VoltEuropa
Hi and a warm welcome! I do hope you'll stay.
💜
@VoltEuropa Well I'd love the local Dutch Volt politicians to use their accounts again rather than just BlueSky 😅 Laurens Dassen did a few posts but then stopped again, quite sad...
Hopefully you'll do differently.
@VoltEuropa How about this: why not engage with us? There's plenty of tools to find things that might fall into your wheelhouse, that are worth jumping into the comments for.
I get wary of anyone who has a post/reply ratio that shows all post, no reply. Start by actually engaging instead of proclaiming and letting the comment section be a "talk amongst yourselves" wasteland.
We already have too many advertisement soapboxes, we need more conversation. And conversation doesn't end with the starter.
@VoltEuropa cheers from France ! Looking forward to read more about your program, in tech and all around.
@VoltEuropa Thanks for joining the Fediverse!
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