Serve our citizens • Create opportunities • Overcome injustices

Status of European Societies

European societies of the 21st century face many social, political, and economic challenges.

On the social level, many citizens are excluded from partaking in society and living a decent life. Our system neglects certain disadvantaged groups and regions. The pillars of our social system – the foundation of our societies – are becoming less and less sustainable. Immigration and integration require a re-thinking of our national and European identities and stretch our idea of solidarity.

National politics seem to be stuck in old divisions of left versus right and liberal versus conservative, but fail to give answers in an insecure and fast-changing world. This perceived insecurity creates a room for extremist movements and parties, who offer ready-made and simplistic answers to questions of security, identity, and solidarity. The European Union, the political and social project of our grandparents and parents, is blocked by quarrels of competence and failure to align on shared interests.

Our national economies face low growth rates, derailed financial sectors and lack the conditions to nurture innovation. Economic crises yield detrimental effects on our daily lives. Diverging economies become a threat to European cohesion. Digitization and automation of labour threaten to make large parts of our workforce obsolete, while globalized markets exert pressure on our wage levels. Markets become more and more influential in shaping many spheres of society, ranging from education to the arts and sciences.

The Movement

Volt is a pan-European progressive movement.

(1) Pan-European, because we strongly believe that in addition to change at the national level, we need a strong and united Europe to confront the challenges described.

(2) Progressive, because we promote new answers to build a better future, rather than chasing mistaken images of a long gone past.

(3) A movement, because it is time to unite and become a strong voice to promote our beliefs.

Volt strongly believes that European states and Europe as a whole can overcome the current social, political, and economic challenges; and that our old continent can become an area of highly functioning, livable, and enlightened societies. Volt strongly believes in democratic decision making regarding its own political agenda, not along the lines of classical party doctrines.

The Individual, the State and the Economy

The rights of the Individual

We believe in the right of individuals to choose how they want to lead their life. This includes the rights to choose one’s religion, sex, sexual orientation, secondary education, profession, and personal goals. Furthermore, we believe that individuals should have the right and duty to contribute to the development of their own community, to mold a more efficient and inclusive society.

The role of the State

We believe that the State is the guarantor for the rights of every individual, the enabler for the young and for vulnerable individuals to partake fully in society, and the system of solidarity by which we ensure a minimum decent standard of living for everyone. No one should be left behind. As a mean, rather than an end in itself, we believe the State should intervene as little and as fast as possible, and as much and as long as needed. We believe that the government should regularly and democratically decide on its way forward and constantly evaluate the State’s effectiveness in all its dimensions.

The free and fair economy

We believe that a free and open market economy, within the rules of a functioning legal system and with equal chances to participate and thrive, creates the greatest possible wealth for everyone. We believe that the state cannot plan or foresee innovations, but that it needs to create a space for innovation to take place and enable research. We believe that the market economy creates systemic imbalances, which need to be counterweighted. We believe that the agglomeration of additional wealth should be possible for the hard working. We believe that the right to a decent life includes leisure. We believe that we need to value all professions, especially those that benefit our societies the most – for example those in education and care.

Definition of success

Our long-term vision is enshrined in three fundamentals goals:

(1) Maximization of prosperity

The maximization of the economic prosperity of European nations and their citizens in a sustainable manner.

(2) Elimination of prejudice and barriers

The elimination of prejudices and social barriers that cause the sufferance and discrimination of people who belong to minorities and groups historically discriminated against, or who come from socio-economic disadvantaged backgrounds.

(3) European integration

The creation of a Pan-European Progressive Movement, built upon national-level Progressive Movements, to foster the European integration in the near future.

Principles for the public sector

When designing policy and working in the public sector, we put a special emphasis on three key principles in order to improve the current impact of the public administration.

(1) Innovation

We express our ambition to improve the public sector and the socio-economic rules of our countries constantly.

(2) Efficiency

We express the need to make the best use of our human, natural, and economic resources, in order to fight waste and value the resources given to us. We put a strong emphasis on moving towards a stewardship approach concerning our natural resources.

(3) Equal Opportunities

We express our conviction that every citizen should face the same opportunities when it comes to personal development and success, independent of age, region, race, sex, sexual orientation, and religion. In addition, we intend to narrow the rifts between the luckiest and the most disadvantaged in our societies.