Summary of the election program for the 2024 EU elections

Overview version of the election program (in many other languages)

Is Volt Europe your match - Check it with our Volt Matcher

A EUROPE FOR EVERYONE

As more and more conflicts erupt around the world, we’re reminded of how fortunate most of us are to have enjoyed decades of peace and security. We owe this historically unique period of peace to the process of European integration. A process which has brought not only stability, but also unprecedented wealth to the vast majority of Europeans.

But as successful as the European project has been, it’s still not living up to its potential. People on our continent are facing real crises: from wars on our borders, the climate catastrophe and rampant poverty, to the inhumane treatment of people seeking refuge, and economic stagnation. And these problems are not being solved.

National governments make only half-hearted efforts to address them. And when they do act, they often undermine the interests of their fellow Europeans. And that’s exactly what’s wrong. These are not the kinds of crises that can be contained by borders. And that makes it impossible for national governments to overcome them alone. The result is division, extremism, and paralysis.

However, there is another way. We can overcome these challenges if we tackle them together, as Europeans, in a united, federal, and truly democratic Europe. Together, we can build a Europe that lives up to its potential, and that works for all of us, whoever we are, wherever we live, and whatever we do. A Europe that can defend itself and safeguard peace in the world. A Europe that transitions decisively towards renewable energy and ensures that basic necessities are affordable for everyone. A Europe that provides a refuge to those seeking safety and that attracts talented people to help us achieve what we cannot achieve by ourselves. A Europe with an economy that delivers prosperity while protecting our planet. And a Europe that is not torn apart by divisive and inhumane nationalist and populist politics. But rather one that is marked by dignity, solidarity, fairness and transparency, in which citizens are empowered to make the changes they seek.

TO BUILD THIS EUROPE, WE FOUNDED VOLT.

As the first truly pan-European party, we do politics differently. We bring together the knowledge and perspectives of thousands of people - from Ireland to Romania, from Finland to Malta – to develop evidence-based policies. And we fight for these same policies everywhere in Europe.

Millions of Europeans have already entrusted us with their votes at the municipal, national, and European levels. More than 125 Volters already represent citizens in countries including Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal.

Our next goal is to win 23 seats in the European Parliament. This will make us an independent political force for all Europeans, and it will demonstrate that value-driven, pan-European democracy is the future.

A BETTER EU

Europe’s unification brought unprecedented peace and prosperity after two devastating World Wars. It has shown how working together, across borders, and with common humanity can stave off division and destruction. But the EU as it stands is far from perfect. At a time when populism and disaffection are on the rise, it’s vital that we start shaping our EU so that it works for all of us.

TO SHAPE OUR EU FOR THE BETTER, WE WANT TO:

1. MAKE THE EU MORE DEMOCRATIC AND GIVE PEOPLE A BIGGER SAY

• +  Establish a Federal Europe with European parties and a European government, headed by a European Prime Minister.

• +  Turn the Council of the European Union into a European Senate, abolish the national veto power, and empower Parliament to propose laws.

• +  Lower the voting age to 16 and allow citizens to propose laws via petitions.
  GIVE EUROPE A POWERFUL VOICE ON THE WORLD STAGE AND MAKE

  2. MAKE IT INDEPENDENT FROM OTHERS FOR ITS SECURITY

• +  Set up a European armed forces under the control of Parliament and jointly procure weapons.

• +  Enable a true European Foreign Minister to represent a united and value-based foreign policy and work toward global consensus on issues such as climate, AI and cybersecurity. Establish a European Foreign Direct Investment

• +  (FDI) Review system to screen investments in critical and strategic infrastructure and introduce Joint Intelligence Services.

  3. INCREASE TRANSPARENCY, AND FIGHT CORRUPTION AND AUTOCRATIC TENDENCIES

• + Establish a new European Constitutional Court that can revoke national laws on the basis of a new EU constitution.

• +  Cut EU funds and voting rights from governments that undermine democracy, media freedom, fundamental rights or their justice system, and instead allow for direct funding of municipalities and cities.

• +  Enforce European standards that protect journalists from being silenced and make lobbyists register all their meetings in one platform to hold politicians accountable.

  4. SAFEGUARD THE EUROPEAN ECONOMY THROUGH A NEW FISCAL ARCHITECTURE

• +  Complete the Eurozone and Banking Union and enable a new European Finance Minister to propose the yearly budget.

• +  Empower the EU to counter economic shocks with clear deficit rules, reform requirements, and stabilising investment tools.

• +  Introduce a minimum corporate tax rate of 22% across Europe and ensure profits are taxed where they are made.

  5. PROMOTE PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGH AID, TRADE AND ENLARGEMENT

  • +  Promote trade agreements that are based on sustainability and human rights to diversify Europe’s trade dependencies.

  • +  Contribute over €100bn to official development assistance and coordinate aid funding through a European Development Agency.

  • +  Support Ukraine with weapons and funds until it regains its territorial integrity, and introduce a new and gradual path for candidate countries to join the EU that is fairer, more transparent and efficient.

AN INNOVATION-FRIENDLY AND CLIMATE-NEUTRAL

ECONOMY

Europe’s economy has provided us with a high standard of living for decades. But we know that success has come at a cost. Almost every day now we wake up to news of climate catastrophe - flooding in one part of Europe and fire in another. We know that if we want to survive and thrive, we need to change the way we run our economy. Yet, this moment of crisis is also an opportunity for positive change. We can harness the innovation, creativity and talent that Europe already has to build a sustainable, climate neutral economy that will see us through the 21st century.

1. REACH CLIMATE NEUTRALITY AS QUICKLY AND FAIRLY AS POSSIBLE

• +  Commit to a Climate Neutral Economy by 2040 and to a climate neutral energy sector by 2035.

• +  End fossil fuel subsidies, introduce an EU-wide Carbon Tax, and use the revenues to help those most affected by the green transition.

• +  Establish a Green Jobs Strategy for challenged regions by improving connectivity and infrastructure, supporting re-skilling, and working with companies and educational institutions in strategic industries.

  2. PROTECT OUR PLANET BY PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

  • +  Protect animal welfare by banning longdistance animal transport to non-EU countries and individual caging in farming.

  • +  Phase out subsidies to environmentally harmful farming practices and allocate funds to regenerative agriculture.

  • +  Restore biodiversity by setting binding European and national targets, supporting nature restoration projectsfor land and water, and protecting indigenous and pollinating insects.

TO BUILD AN ECONOMY FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, WE WANT TO:

3. MAKE EUROPE A LEADER IN INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS

• +  Foster EU research excellence by tripling the funding of Horizon to €300bn and simplifying access to funding for start-ups and smaller companies.

• +  Require large investors to invest at least 5% of new funds into start-ups and have the European Investment Bank guarantee €100m in loans for start-up infrastructure projects.

• +  Europeanise state aid to invest in value chains of strategic relevance to safeguard the internal market and competition between Member States.

  4. UPDATE OUR POWER INFRASTRUCTURE AND SHIFT ROAD AND AIR TRAFFIC TO RAIL

  • +  Support the economy with a European Smart Energy Grid, by speeding up permits for renewables, supporting energy saving initiatives and allowing citizens to feed energy into the grid.

  • +  Promote the total phase-out of coal by 2030 and stop issuing new permits to drill for fossil fuels.

  • +  Establish an affordable, interconnected, high-speed rail service to substitute air transportation in Europe.

    5. MAKE DIGITALISATION WORK FOR EVERYONE

  • +  Set up a one-stop-shop for start-ups and SMEs to navigate bureaucracy, and introduce English as an additional official language across Europe.

  • +  Make all administration services interoperable across Europe, and enforce an open data and open source approach for all publicly procured software and data.

  • +  Roll out the EU Digital Identity Wallet featuring user control, decentralised data storage, and robust data protection.

    6. MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO WORK AND CREATE VALUE IN EUROPE

  • +  Enable remote workers to work across borders and give gig-economy and freelance workers the same protections as contract workers.

  • +  Ensure standardised qualifications and skills recognition across the EU, and enhance administrative capacity to enable workers’ families to join them within three months.

  • +  Establish a European Migration Code to set up speedy legal pathways to attract international talent at all wage and skill levels.

A MORE JUST SOCIETY

With its abundant resources, Europe should be a place where people from all over the world can create a thriving future for themselves and their communities. Yet for many, barriers in the form of discrimination or poor access to services, as well as wealth inequality, mean that their participation in society is needlessly limited. By confronting and eliminating discrimination, defending people’s rights, and ensuring that everyone can access the things they need, we can build a more equitable society where everyone can thrive, regardless of their background and life circumstances.

TO BUILD A FAIRER, MORE EQUITABLE SOCIETY, WE AIM TO:

1. DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY, FORWARD-LOOKING EDUCATION FOR EVERYONE

• +  Increase the budget for European exchanges to make ERASMUS+ more accessible and inclusive for school students, teachers and apprentices.

• +  Guarantee by law the right to high-quality, free daycare and affordable lifelong education, and promote skills suitable to a green and digitalised economy.

• +  Tackle mental health challenges for young people by funding mental health initiatives in schools and education on healthy use of social media.

  2. FIGHT DISCRIMINATION SO THAT EVERYONE ENJOYS THE SAME RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

  • +  Require all EU institutions take a gender perspective into account in their policymaking.

  • +  Enshrine in law the right to abortion, contraception and comprehensive sexual and reproductive rights education, the right to equal marriage and the right of legal gender

    recognition.

  • +  Create a European Disability Agency to ensure full implementation of the UN Convention

    of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

3. PROMOTE A GOOD STANDARD OF LIVING BY PROVIDING VITAL PUBLIC SERVICES AND FOSTERING SOCIAL SOLIDARITY

• +  Establish a regionally cost-adjusted European Basic Income (EBI) that covers basic living expenses while incentivising well-paid work.

• +  Enable the EU to directly finance social housing projects in the most affected cities.

• +  Set up direct local-level funding to support communities to integrate newcomers according

  to their needs.

  4. SAFEGUARD PEOPLE’S RIGHTS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD AND MAKE DIGITALISATION SERVE ALL EUROPEANS

  • +  Establish a European streaming service, providing citizens with free access to all media produced with public money across the union.

  • +  Convert the Declaration on European Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade into a binding legal instrument.

  • +  Tax revenue from digital technologies where it is generated, oppose legislation that threatens to net neutrality and take measures against unethical uses of AI.

    5. MAKE ASYLUM FAIR AND HUMANE

  • +  Create humanitarian corridors to provide safe passage to vulnerable people, preventing the massive loss of life in the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

  • +  Relocate asylum seekers from our borders quickly and fairly, on the basis of a combination of regional voluntary and national mandatory arrangements.

  • +  Legally require asylum procedures to be completed within three months, while providing asylum seekers with social, legal and psychological support.

    
    Original version from Volt Europe: Volt Campaign Programme