Mastodawn

Volt Europa Mar 18

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. 💜

🧵 2/2

#introduction #newhere

Carola Ottenburg Mar 18

@VoltEuropa
Hi and a warm welcome! I do hope you'll stay.
💜

moellendorfer Mar 18

@VoltEuropa Thanks for joining the Fediverse!

PureTryOut Mar 18

@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.

⁉️Mar 18

@VoltEuropa welcome to the Fediverse!

Some sore points:

1) Stop/eliminate Chat Control / EU going Dark.

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.

⁉️Mar 19

@VoltEuropa

To add to my earlier list, I and I'm sure many others desire a transparent and non-corrupt EU, particularly at the senior levels.

The events of the past 20 years in German politics and since the 2020s EU have diminished confidence and patriotism.

Once proud and confident citizens now feel disengaged, while EU demands for cooperation and assistance, such as transparency and the reduction of corruption, are met with scepticism. .../2

⁉️Mar 19

@VoltEuropa

A perception of hypocrisy arises because the EU does not consistently adhere to its own demands, making it the laughing stock of the global south amongst others.

I advocate for strong, serious and transparent politics and an economically powerful EU, which does not succumb to foreign pressure and demands, such as the wholesale of EU-citizen data, particularly biometrics to name a few.

Leela Torres Mar 20

@VoltEuropa
Small Nuclar plants are still nuclear plants with the same problems to get resources (Russia?) and what to do with the everlasting waste.

@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.

(1/2)

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.

(2/2)

dotmavriq Mar 19

@VoltEuropa Ok sure, bring it on!
I've seen you guys at Portuguese campuses and what not and I've followed Varoufakis enough to have a gist of what you are about...but:

What is the action plan for the next 5 years. What are the critical axioms you unite under and priority undertakings. I mean getting the sovereign nations of Europe to formally unite is a BIG undertaking that I'd be down with on paper, but not at all costs.

odnes Mar 19

@dotmavriq @VoltEuropa You seem to be confusing Diem25 (a leftist movement headed by Varoufakis that aspires to be paneuropean) with Volt.

I respect a few figures that are friendly to Varoufakis' movement, such as @pluralistic , and in my experience they are popular within Volt as well.

But in Volt we are pretty ok with economic liberalism, so there's that. ;)

dotmavriq Mar 20

@odnes
God, you're right

My bad!
@VoltEuropa @pluralistic

Veza85UE Mar 21

@odnes @dotmavriq @VoltEuropa @pluralistic I don't do movements of any kind, but as far as I'm concerned not being associated with him is a bonus, we can hang (..."in there, sisters").

dotmavriq Mar 21

@Veza85UE @odnes @VoltEuropa @pluralistic I mean he has weird rhetoric, was wrong when squabbling with Merkel & Schauble, wrong about 'Capitalism dying' for those that argue semantics... But I think he should be allowed to say his piece. Maybe just tone down some of his weirder pro-China stances as they are tone deaf and insufficiently holistic

@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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Shine 29 - Our plan for the next 5 years

Volt Europa

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.

(2/2)

Marie PJ⏚Mar 19

@VoltEuropa cheers from France ! Looking forward to read more about your program, in tech and all around.

If your experience on the fediverse is successful, you should plan on hosting your own instance and provide your elected officials with official accounts. We are fond of those. If needed, I might be able to help you in that regard, feel free to pm me when you're ready.

Mikka, MD Mar 19

@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.

odnes Mar 19

@mikka @VoltEuropa Seconding this. Don't apologize for "having limited resources". It just feels counter to the culture of this social medium.

Just give access to a bunch of valued people in the org (you know who they are) and let them drive this baby. Be the politics-nerd equivalent of @upcloud .

Henk Langeveld Mar 19

@VoltEuropa

1. Follow @bert_hubert and tell us your ideas in digital sovereignty.

2. Given your limited resources, what frequency did you have in mind for checking in and engaging with us?

@hlangeveld We definitely plan to check in daily. To take part in Fediverse discussions and post content that we think might be of interest to our followers (something we need to find out). But this project is purely volunteer-driven. We need to find out how this works for us and if the efforts are beneficial for the community.

Alyssa Coghlan Mar 21

@VoltEuropa @hlangeveld On the volunteer front, one way to distribute the work is to encourage people in the org to participate as individuals *without* necessarily being required to stick solely to approved official positions (although giving everyone some basic PR training can help avoid starting *too* many fires that need to be put out). If folks are already participating, give them explicit permission to be open about the affiliation (and if those things are already happening, nice work).

Volt Europa Mar 22

@ancoghlan @hlangeveld Thanks! We are encouraging all members to participate in Fediverse discussions. Many of them clearly state they are Volters. Nobody has been gagged. At the same time, we are trying to extend the team that manages this account

soaproot Mar 24

@VoltEuropa I'm all for frequent replies (participation in discussions for example). But at least speaking for myself (don't know about others) I prefer to follow accounts which are not super high volume in terms of posts which show up in my feed (top level posts and boosts, although in the latter case I have the option to not look at boosts per-account). @hlangeveld

Andrew Millar Mar 20

@VoltEuropa
Hi Volt, I wondered if this would be a good place. You're not big in the UK?

For grins, here's some options:
https://m.ai6yr.org/@ai6yr/116162440169165718
😁

AI6YR Ben (@[email protected])

LOL true Mastodon verification: YOU MUST VERIFY YOURSELF ON MASTODON BY: - Posting a picture of a cat in your lap - Random photos of flowers - Wax poetic about your favorite episode of Star Trek TNG (or your hate of the series) - Random, undecipherable technical blabbering about ham radio electronics - Mention something about your favorite Linux command line - Say hello to your many LGBTQ followers/friends here, just because you're glad they're here - Toot a picture of some mushroom you ran into while walking in the forst - Something something astronomy - Random gadget/device/bicycle post - Post a random picture of a tree or window - Photo of your sewing/mending project! - Hand drawn art post

AI6YR's Mastodon

Volt Europa Mar 22

@A_J_Millar Volt UK is real and active! 💜 It's campaigning for the UK to rejoin the EU. Smaller than our chapters on the continent, for sure, but growing. The Fediverse feels like exactly the right place for people who think Europe is better together.

Aral Balkan Mar 20

@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 you 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 commons-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 into the United States of America (but with different people at the helm?)

• In your vision, is the European Parliament still a toy parliament that can’t legislate or will it have legislative powers like every other parliament?

• Related to the above: Do you see a future for an unelected European Commission 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.

Fred Rocha Mar 20

@aral @VoltEuropa what Aral said! :)

I mean, bem-vindas!

Fred Rocha Mar 20

@aral @VoltEuropa also, please log in.

qwazix Mar 20

@aral @VoltEuropa yes, I'm also interested in your response to these questions.

qwazix Mar 20

@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.

AnneH Mar 20

@aral @VoltEuropa Good call @aral Seconded

mray Mar 20

@aral @VoltEuropa Interesting questions, indeed.

David Culley Mar 20

@aral @VoltEuropa Aral is not alone with these questions.

It's good that you're seeking a conversation with us. Let's see your answers.

Txo!?Mar 21

@aral @VoltEuropa I am curious about all this also.

Thanks @aral

Wouter 🇳🇱🇧🇷🇧🇪Mar 21

@aral @VoltEuropa good questions. Curious IF you will get answers….

Christian Tietze Mar 21

@aral @VoltEuropa good questions, looking forward to the reply

joene 🏴Mar 21

@aral I know that @voltnederland is at least in favour of the European ICE, #Frontex. Don't know about @VoltEuropa .

Aral Balkan Mar 22

@joenepraat @voltnederland @VoltEuropa Right, well, that’s not good.

https://volteuropa.org/news/frontex-violations-of-human-rights

nichu42 Mar 25

@joenepraat @aral

Volt backed denying Frontex its budget discharge after documented pushback violations:

Frontex violations of human rights

On Tuesday, Members of the European Parliament rejected granting a 2020 budget discharge to the EU’s Border Guard Agency, Frontex. A step in the right direction towards condemning illegal and often violent pushbacks. The vote comes after countless reports of investigative journalists and the publication of a damning ...

Volt Europa

Ea Mar 21

@aral @VoltEuropa
Great questions
I would also like to know,
What their standpoints are on digital id?

Volt Europa 6d ago

@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.

Ԏєηυкι, 手抜き🚀🐧♏ 🔭 ⚫⚪Mar 22

@aral
at Bremen, DE we have a bigger Volt community. Online I tried to speak to @voltbremen here years ago. I never got any response. I was on their meetings and saw or felt they only address younger voters. So I left 😳
@VoltEuropa

@aral These questions deserve proper answers, so we looped in several policy teams. Thanks for bearing with us, @aral. We'll tackle each one in its own thread. The exception is Tech strategy, which needs a bit more time: that thread will follow later.

https://volteuropa.org/news/stop-settler-terrorism-displacement-and-annexation-in-occupied-palestine

@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.

Stop settler terrorism, displacement, and annexation in Occupied Palestine

In the illegally occupied West Bank, a systematic policy of displacement, expropriation and violence against the Palestinian population is being advanced. What is happening is not accidental – rather, it is a deliberate, clearly communicated process affecting large parts of Area C, the Jordan Valley and increasingly ...

Volt Europa

https://volteuropa.org/news/iranians-deserve-a-legitimate-intervention-from-the-international-community

@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.

Iranians deserve a legitimate intervention from the international community

What is the current escalating situation in Iran? In Iran, repression has significantly intensified. Independent human rights observers and activists report that thousands of civilians have been killed, with some estimates suggesting tens of thousands of deaths during the brutal crackdown by Iranian security forces. Th...

Volt Europa

@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.

(1/2)

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 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 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 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 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.

Enea Lecas Mar 20

@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.

Volt Europa Mar 20

Hey @Enea90 - thanks for following. Make sure to add https://mstdn.social/@VoltFrance@piaille.fr to your list, too.

Mastodon 🐘

Enea Lecas Mar 20

@VoltEuropa Thanks for the tip, I gave them a follow.