Municipal parliaments - Volt micro-party grows in Rhineland-Palatinate
The small party Volt aims to secure three percent of the votes in the Rhineland-Palatinate state elections in 2026. This is usually the threshold, beyond which parties are no longer listed under "Others," but rather as independent parties, stated Helga Kraemer of the German Press Agency in Mainz. The optimistic view is that party memberships will continue to increase after the European elections and the local elections.
Mainz Volt representative Sascha Kolhey hopes that the European party, which is already represented in several major cities, will surpass the five-percent hurdle in the Hamburg Senate election in the spring of 2025. The 31-year-old political scientist, who works for the Volt fraction in Wiesbaden on a full-time basis, was recently elected to the city council of the Rhineland-Palatinate state capital.
The Rhineland-Palatinate branch, founded in 2020, reportedly has around 270 active members according to their own statements. Approximately 150 more individuals are in the process of becoming members, Kraemer said. This isn't as simple as just signing up. Rather, it is first determined during a conversation with a potential member whether their views align with those of the party.
Kraemer, who has lived in Buchel in the Eifel with her husband and grown children for the past ten years after spending time in the United States, advocates for the idea of a United States of Europe. "We only have a chance as Europe," she said, referring to the clear lessons from Corona and the Ukraine conflict.
"In terms of content, we don't fit neatly into any one box. It depends on the goal. Whether closer to the Greens, SPD, FDP, CDU, or even the Left – it's different from one goal to the next," Kraemer said. Above all, it's about Europe and a positive, liberal image of humanity. "There's no party that's more contradictory to the AfD than Volt," she added.
Politically, Volt is advocating for a lower voting age of 16 for communal and state elections in the same way as the SPD, Greens, and FDP. "You have to be able to see the opinions of young people, who still have the future ahead of them," emphasized the 56-year-old Kraemer. The average age of party members in Germany is 35 years old.
Volt sees a significant catch-up need in Rhineland-Palatinate in terms of digitalization in municipalities and schools. "Every child should be able to program today," says Kolhey, who also comes from the Eifel and has experience in Estonia. At the same time, he criticizes the planned closure of rural schools.
Volt received 2.6 percent of the votes in the German European elections and secured two mandates. The three representatives join the Green faction in the European Parliament, along with the two Dutch Volt representatives. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the party scored 2.2 percent.
Volt is represented in Mainz and the Mainz-Bingen district council
At the local elections, Volt managed to enter the Mainz city council with three seats (5.2 percent of the votes). In the Mainz-Bingen district council, Volt has two representatives (3.2 percent of the votes). In the city of Landau (0.9 percent) and the districts of Rhein-Hunsruck (0.9 percent) and Altenkirchen (0.6 percent), the number of votes did not reach the threshold for a seat. Volt did not participate in the elections in the other 19 districts and free cities. With a total of 0.5 percent of the votes, Volt made it nationwide.
Established in response to the British referendum on EU exit and the growing right-wing populism in Europe, three young Europeans started a pan-European movement: Volt was founded on March 29, 2017. Approximately one year later, on March 3, 2018, in Germany, the registration as a party took place. According to Krämer's assessment, the pro-European movement Pulse of Europe also played a role.
- The Rhineland-Palatinate branch of Volt, founded in 2020, aspires to surpass the five-percent hurdle in the state elections, following the example of the European party in other major cities.
- Helga Kraemer, a prominent figure in the German Press Agency, emphasized that the growth of Volt's membership is not as simple as just signing up; potential members must align with the party's views.
- The Volt fraction in Wiesbaden is led by Sascha Kolhey, a 31-year-old political scientist who was recently elected to the Rhineland-Palatinate state capital's city council.
- Kraemer, a supporter of a United States of Europe, highlighted that Europe only has a chance to overcome challenges like those posed by Corona and the Ukraine conflict.
- In terms of political alignment, Volt does not fit neatly into any one party but advocates for a positive, liberal image of humanity and stands in stark contrast to the right-wing populist AfD.
- Volt supports lowering the voting age for communal and state elections to 16, following the lead of the SPD, Greens, and FDP, as a means of giving a voice to young people.
- Volt recognizes a significant need for digitalization in Rhineland-Palatinate's municipalities and schools, with Kolhey advocating for every child to learn programming and critiquing plans for rural school closures.
- In the German European elections of 2019, Volt secured 2.6 percent of the votes and two mandates, joining the Green faction in the European Parliament. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the party received 2.2 percent of the votes.
- Established in response to Brexit and the rise of right-wing populism in Europe, Volt was founded by three young Europeans in 2017 and registered as a party in Germany the following year, with support from pro-European movements like Pulse of Europe.
