Dear Volters,

When Volt was founded in 2017, Europe was facing a period of considerable political uncertainty. The first Trump presidency, Brexit dominating the headlines, the rise of populist movements across Europe, COVID-19 pandemic and the annexation of Crimea. It all contributed to the realisation that the stability, many of us had taken for granted, was no longer secured.

In that context Volt was founded. It was a response to that concern, grounded in a clear conviction: the major challenges of our century cannot be effectively addressed by nations acting alone. It requires European solutions and stronger cooperation across borders. This is why I and many of you, during those years, committed to Volt.

Since then, we found out that the uncertainty would only steadily grow. The need for that cooperation has only become more apparent. War has returned to our continent, the climate crisis continues to demand decisive action, energy scarcity is skyrocketing prices, housing is unaffordable, and to top it all off, the second Trump term has resulted in the rupture of the old world order. 

As dire as all of this sounds, it creates the perfect breeding ground for change. A change for a federal, progressive and powerful Europe. For me, this is what Volt stands for. A form of hope and action for a different outcome. Through the dedication of many of you, our volunteers and members, we are now at a stage to make the next big jump and move towards the European elections of 2029. This is not going to be easy, just like the steps before weren’t. But through continued engagement and contribution of all of us, I believe we can make Volt the next best thing for Europe!

In this programme, I will paint a picture of how I see the future of Volt, Europe and what we need to do to get there. Let’s make Volt win now. Because Europe cannot wait.

Kind regards,

Mels Michiel Klabbers
Candidate Co-President Volt Europa