Volt on Europe

Volt wants a European constitution to be drafted that opens the way to a federal European republic. In the platform's view, Europe needs a democratically legitimized foundation in order to act effectively and beyond national interests.

Volt wants a constitution for Europe. A constitution is the most important law of a state. The EU should become one federal state. Volt calls this a federal European republic. People in Europe should have a say in this.

The constitution is to be developed alongside a public debate in every European country and shaped and legitimized by citizens. A group of willing states would put the constitution and the republic into practice quickly, with other countries able to join later. The constitution is meant to guarantee democratic principles and the rule of law, strengthen individual rights, and make institutions efficient and transparent. The platform says Germany has a special responsibility to push reforms because of its weight in the Union.

Volt wants the European Parliament to be able to propose laws itself and to have an equal say in all lawmaking. The platform argues that Parliament is the only directly elected EU institution and should actively represent citizens' concerns.

Today the European Parliament cannot propose laws. Volt wants to change that. Parliament should have an equal say on all laws. The Council of the EU should change too. People should elect its members directly.

Parliament would get its own right of initiative and stand on equal footing with the Council in every procedure. Special procedures that bypass or exclude Parliament would be dropped. The Council of the EU would be turned into a directly elected second chamber that passes laws together with Parliament. Volt expects this to bring the EU closer to people.

Volt wants to convert the European Commission into a government with broader powers that answers to Parliament. The European Council would be abolished in the long run, and the EU would get its own revenue.

Volt wants a real government for Europe. The EU Commission should become this government. Parliament should keep watch over it. There should be ministries like in a state. The EU should also collect its own money, for example through a digital tax.

The new government would be led by a head of government. Ministries with department heads for defined policy areas would replace the Commission and its members. Volt wants to abolish the European Council, the body of heads of state and government, in the long term. As possible EU revenue sources, the platform names a financial transaction tax or a digital tax. According to Volt, the goal is a democratically legitimized government that can act effectively for citizens.

Volt wants tasks and funding assigned to whichever level handles them most effectively. Regional and local responsibilities would stay where that makes sense, while areas such as foreign policy would be governed at the European level.

Volt wants to share tasks well. Cities and regions should handle some tasks themselves. Europe should handle other tasks together, such as foreign policy. Regions along borders should get more support.

As examples of tasks that should stay local, the platform lists infrastructure, basic public services, and cultural funding, each with the money needed. For foreign policy and similar areas, uniform Europe-wide rules would apply. Volt wants special support for regions that span national borders because, in the party's view, they strengthen cohesion in Europe. The platform bases this approach on Europe's regional diversity.

Volt wants to create citizens' councils at the European level so that people can take part directly in EU policy. In the party's view, this would build trust in the EU and reduce disillusionment with politics.

Volt wants citizens' councils for Europe. In a citizens' council, randomly chosen people discuss politics. This way people in the EU can have a direct say. Volt hopes people will then trust the EU more.

As a first step, the platform calls for a project linking existing national citizens' assemblies. In the long run, separate European councils would be created whose makeup reflects the population. Volt sees these councils as a tool for direct participation in European politics.

Volt wants cross-border candidate lists for European elections, a European law on political parties, and a uniform electoral law. The platform sees this as the path to a European democracy with shared opinion-forming and more transparency.

Volt wants to change European elections. Parties should put up lists for all of Europe. Then people can vote for candidates from other countries. There should be European parties that people can vote for everywhere. The same voting rules should apply in all EU countries.

The transnational lists are meant to enable political debate that does not stop at national borders. A dedicated European party law would create parties that can run in European elections in every member state and are treated equally in tax and funding matters. On top of that comes an electoral law with the same standards across the EU. Volt expects a more direct link between a person's vote and European decisions.

Volt wants the EU to decide by qualified majority instead of unanimously in key areas such as foreign and budget policy. According to the platform, unanimity often blocks progress and is exploited by individual states for national goals.

On some questions, all EU countries must agree. A single country can then stop everything. Volt wants to change that. In the future, a large majority of countries should be enough. This should also apply to foreign policy and the budget.

The change would cover foreign policy, budget policy, and other key areas. Unanimity would be replaced by qualified majority voting, where a set majority of states is enough. Volt argues that this is the only way the EU can act decisively and in everyone's interest.

Volt wants EU money to go only to member states that respect the rule of law. Violations of core values such as press freedom and judicial independence are to be sanctioned consistently.

Volt wants the EU to give money only to countries that follow the rule of law. That means, for example, independent courts and a free press. Countries that break these rules should be punished. The EU should also do more against corruption.

The platform lists four measures. EU funds are to depend on compliance with the rule of law. The anti-fraud office OLAF and the European Public Prosecutor's Office are to get broader powers. Member states that violate core values are to be sanctioned consistently. In addition, the European Parliament is to take part in appointing judges to the European Court of Justice, which Volt says would make the court more resilient against authoritarian forces.

Volt wants to dissolve Frontex and merge the national border agencies into a new European authority. The EU asylum agency would be expanded to organize the reception and distribution of people seeking protection. Secure external borders are meant to make fixed checks at internal borders permanently unnecessary.

Frontex is the EU border agency. Volt wants to close Frontex. A new European agency should guard the borders. A second agency should look after people seeking protection. The EU Parliament should oversee both.

The new border authority would be formed from the national agencies and would fight crime. The EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) would handle reception, housing, and distribution of people seeking protection. Sea rescue and medical care would be reliably guaranteed. Both bodies would be overseen by the European Parliament and work with civil groups such as human rights organizations. The platform says this would prevent humanitarian disasters at the external borders and preserve free movement within the EU.

Volt wants to merge the member states' diplomatic services into the European External Action Service so that Europe speaks with one voice. Europe should also become more independent of the US, reform NATO and develop nuclear sharing based on French capabilities.

Volt wants one shared foreign policy for Europe. The countries' foreign services should become part of one European service. Europe should depend less on the US. France's nuclear weapons should protect the whole EU. Volt still wants fewer nuclear weapons worldwide.

Europe is to develop its own trade strategies to reduce economic dependencies. NATO would allow decisions by qualified majority so the alliance stays stable when individual members are politically unstable. The platform cites what it sees as unpredictable US foreign policy and wants to diversify partnerships. Nuclear sharing within the EU would build on French capabilities. At the same time, Volt commits to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to global disarmament of weapons of mass destruction.

Volt wants to remove barriers for companies and workers in the EU single market. The plan includes a common capital market, an optional EU body of business law, and in the long run a European social insurance. The platform sees the single market as a stabilizer in a world trade shaped by geopolitics.

Volt wants companies to work more easily across the whole EU. For this, there should be common EU rules that companies can choose. Investing money across borders should be easier. Later there should be a European social insurance.

Cross-border investments would be made simpler so that more capital is available for new business ideas and the restructuring of the economy. The optional EU law would cover contract law, labor law with workplace safety and co-determination, company law with an EU limited liability company, and tax law with an EU sales tax and corporate tax. The A1 certificate would no longer be needed for working in another EU country. The European social insurance is envisioned either as a clearing model or as a separate voluntary insurance.