Volt on culture and media

Volt wants a thorough reckoning with Germany's colonial history and the return of looted or expropriated cultural objects and assets. Monuments and street names with a troubled history would be reviewed.

Volt wants to study Germany's colonial past closely. Germany should give back stolen art. Some monuments and street names should be checked. They may then get a new meaning or a new name.

The reckoning is meant to acknowledge historical injustice and explain its effects on today's social structures. Cultural objects and assets would be returned in dialogue and cooperation with those affected. Historically troubled monuments and street names would be reviewed and rededicated where needed. Memorial sites would be preserved and expanded.

Volt wants to write culture into the Grundgesetz (Germany's constitution) as a state objective. This is meant to give cultural policy more weight. Minority cultures, customs, historic monuments, and the independent arts scene are also to be protected.

Volt wants to put culture into the constitution. The constitution is Germany's most important law. The state would then have to pay special attention to culture. Volt also wants to protect the cultures of minorities.

The platform calls for adding culture as a state objective to the constitution so that cultural policy carries more weight. The cultures and customs of minorities are to be protected and visible in the media. Protection of historic monuments is to be guaranteed as well. The independent arts scene is to receive support in order to preserve diversity and cultural heritage.

Volt wants more people to be able to enjoy culture regardless of income, age, or where they live. This includes nationwide culture tickets for people with little money, extending the Kulturpass (culture pass for young people), and mobile services in rural areas. Arts education in schools is also to be strengthened.

Volt wants everyone to be able to enjoy culture. People with little money should get culture tickets. Young people should keep their culture pass. Buses with books and culture should travel to rural areas. Schools should keep teaching art and music.

The platform plans nationwide culture tickets for low-income groups, closer cooperation between social and cultural institutions, and more inclusion. In rural areas, culture and library buses are to operate, and a fund is to let municipalities buy back vacant buildings for cultural projects. Clubs, studios, and youth centers are to be protected and funded, and the Kulturpass is to continue beyond 2024. Schools are to keep teaching art, music, and drama, and career changers are to find it easier to become teachers. Programs are to expand cooperation between schools and cultural institutions, for example in all-day schooling.

Volt wants artists to be better paid and better protected. The plan includes a base fee for public contracts, a higher federal subsidy to artists' social insurance, and easier access to unemployment insurance. In the party's view, this secures cultural life in the long run.

Volt wants to protect artists better. They should get a minimum fee for public contracts. The federal government should pay more into their social insurance. It should be easier for them to join unemployment insurance.

Solo self-employed cultural workers are to receive a base fee for public-sector contracts, which is also meant to prevent bogus self-employment. In the social insurance for artists, the contribution rate is to stay at 5 percent while the federal subsidy rises to 25 percent. Barriers to voluntarily joining unemployment insurance are to be lowered. In addition, an expert commission involving cultural workers is to settle how authorship is protected online, especially in light of AI. Libraries, museums, and archives are to get support to preserve digital cultural heritage.

Volt wants the culture budgets of the federal government, states, and municipalities not to shrink and to grow over the long term as needed. The party opposes cuts to culture. Funding is to come from the Bundeskulturfonds (federal culture fund) and from tourist taxes.

Volt does not want to cut money for culture. The federal government, states, and towns should pay at least as much as now. Later there should be more money if needed. Fees paid by tourists should also help culture.

Spending on culture at every level of government is to stay at least at today's level. Over the long term it is to grow in line with need. Volt wants to draw on the Bundeskulturfonds for funding. Revenue from tourist taxes is to be earmarked for preserving cultural diversity and cultural heritage.

Volt wants to preserve a diverse and independent media landscape, which the platform describes as a pillar of democracy. Media workers are to be better protected, and local newspapers and nonprofit journalism are to receive support. A new competence center is to bundle media education and advice.

Volt wants to protect journalists better. A new center should advise and train them. The center should also teach people how to use media well. Local newspapers should get money from the state.

A competence center for media education and journalism advice is to strengthen the public's media literacy and offer media workers training in cybersecurity, legal advice, and protection against surveillance and threats; it is also to serve as a contact point for media workers in exile. Laws and security programs are to better protect media workers and their relatives, and police are to be trained to protect the press at demonstrations. Grants and funding programs are to be broadened and aimed at structurally weak regions. Local newspapers are to get targeted support. A reform of nonprofit law is to put nonprofit journalism on a secure financial footing, and media offerings are to become inclusive.

Volt wants to reform public broadcasting with the involvement of a citizens' council. In addition, an independent public broadcaster is to be created at the European level to make EU topics more visible.

Volt wants to change Germany's public TV and radio. A council of citizens should have a say in this. Volt also wants a new broadcaster for all of Europe. It should report on EU topics.

A citizens' council is to take part in reforming public service media. The goal is to adapt programming to how people use media today and to give marginalized groups more consideration. Alongside this, an independent European public service broadcaster is to strengthen the European perspective in news coverage.