VOLT EUROPA REPORT #13 Christmas end-of-year December 2020 Chapter 1: Foreword

Chapter 2: European Parliament European Parliament team

Our Next Steps Our Road So Far • Seeing all Volters in one • Damian’s AFCO • Trip to Athens to meet place again! Coordinatorship in the the Greek Government Starting negotiations on Greens/EFA Group and talk about Migration. • • Our proposal for a fair & Read Damian’s post here Electoral Law and making efficient asylum system • Negotiating the largest a big splash on that front in Europe. Read here ever spending together with Volt Starting the Conference • Proposal on the Crucial programme of the EU - • Role of Migrant Workers the corona funds also on the Future of Europe in the EU. Read here called Recovery and • Starting negotiations on • Own Initiative Report Resilience Facility (RRF) the New Pact on Asylum (INI) on the New Avenues • Being appointed as the & Migration w/ a focus on for Labour migration (we responsible MEP for the the crisis mechanism finally have an EP report on the future of Our 2020 Major Success regulation (of which position!!!) Artificial Intelligence for Damian is a shadow) the Greens/EFA in the • Working on EU digital AIDA Special committee policy in the Data Strategy, AI committee Chapter 3: European teams Volt Europa

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps Elections Social innovation campaigns - Participated in elections in - #EuropeCares • National elections in the Austria, Bulgaria, France, - Demonstration against Moria Netherlands, Bulgaria and Germany, Italy - COFE Germany - From 1 → 37 representatives in - I need morning after pill • Local elections in Spain, Bulgaria, Italy & Germany - ECI selection Italy, France, Denmark, - >5% of the votes in major cities - Values Over Power Our thriving Volt community Portugal in Nordrhein-Westfalen - Stop Homelessness • Start our ‘high speed train network’ ECI campaign

empowers citizens to • General Assembly on April collaborate across borders 24/25 Consolidate, improve, and • General Assembly in innovate October/November with - New mission & narrative - Steady membership growth EUR board elections - New vision & strategy - Social Media follower growth • Creation of Volt Manifest - New policy framework, - Built capacity and leadership in • Further improve, innovate process & policies the European team and grow our movement - Improved design - New community organizers - Improved organigram - Financially healthy

Copyright on drawing is from Volter Jacopo Maggi Current numbers

Volt Europe Facts & Figures*: *6.12.2020 (previous number in brackets)

> 5410 (5198) National legal Members Average-Age: f/d > 3950 (3.952) 23.5% AISBL Volt Europa Members

> 14 34.8 National parties m > 45 National Chapters (31) 76.5% Volt Abroad (7) New Territories (21) *Quelle: volt.teams, 20.1.2020 Quelle: Volt-Website EUR GSO - Internal organization

Functional leads positions opened up: embracing many new 2021 faces to the team 2020 Team atmosphere: bi-weekly meetings February marked the Strategic objectives with the functional leads including start of the new translated into action: report to each other and the Board General Secretaries coming alive soon

Office: Lennard Professionalize Volt: Everwien and Anouk Improved transparency of the grow as organization Lennard stepping Ooms Board meetings with decisions so each can find their down to focus on making proposals and overview way EuropeCares: with minutes available to the welcoming Johannes movement Heinrich as our new Making best out of General Secretaries meetings: connect throughout Europe and support male GS Covid-19: online GA’s National Chapters in their internal organizational challenges EUR community team

• We are working on creating a European • Started into the year Onboarding process with only one overworked • We want to help team member, • We grew! From 1 2021 2019 create an finishing it now with person to 7 intranet where a bunch of laughing wonderful team • We want to make all information is faces members local onboarding a easily available • Did a small part in simple process & creating a standardized • We designed a new, make resources European capacity clearer membership available for all • We are working with building procedure for structure & are teams a lot of different functional teams rolling it out • We want to give a teams & trying to platform to share improve internal good practices all communication flow • We created our over Europe in Volt vision together with national teams EUR Public Affairs team

Our Next Steps Our Road So Far

• Formalize our working Getting started: Research, discuss, advise structure • We set up a new EUR • We started assessing the • Improve internal and functional team to advise potential and needs of external coordination & the EUR Board national Volt chapters for ensure clear channels for • Our focus is on political the 2024 EP election input & actionable strategy, analysis, rapid • We advise Valerie and feedback response and Reinier in their daily work, • Finalize framework for forward-planning e.g. preparing talking country chapter • We defined our core points for events and SM, assessment with regard to mission and team background checks of 2024 EP election objectives, opened potential allies • Proactively and channels of • Mapping of multi-level strategically position Volt communication & priorities and in public debate intelligence gathering opportunities to inform leadership EUR Communication

We have launched We have revealed shows on YouTube Volt’s updated design, and Twitch! and it rocks like jingle 2021 2019 bells! We went from 300 to We are going to work 4000 people on on improving our Discord We gave our website We helped the email newsletters. an update, redoing #stophomeless We created a Volt the structure, design petition which narrative to help & functionality. went all the way to the EP! We’re about to launch communicate our story an intranet for all with one voice. comms teams. We tried a new way of We created a content calendar, sharing our campaigning and launched We’re days away from launching (adaptable!) content with comms teams to the #ValuesOverPower the updated Volt brand design & make their role easier. hashtag. it rocks like Jingle Bells! EUR Partnerships

Our Mission: We build sustainable relationships with external partners by representing Volt Europe authentically, 2021 creating value for them, society, and for Volt. We do this, in order to create a constant trust We will onboard the new 2020 in and a profound connection with Volt and co-leads and go operative Volt’s vision of a united and better Europe. early in 2021 In Q2, we proposed to the EUR board to let us found an EUR Partnerships team to Tobie Albrecht - former streamline and unite german Partnerships partnership efforts co-lead - was appointed volt-wide by the board to set-up the team, mission, We also started to be infrastructure and to engaged in our first In Q3 we finished the cross-functional projects onboard/train the new set-up process and leads with the lovely Volters feedback with the EUR from EUR Comms and GS and are ready to Expansion publish the vacancies Volt Academy

Our Next Steps

Training Programmes Our Road So Far • Leadership Development launch - 20 participants Key Workshops 2020 • Candidate training => Run4Volt Volt’s Birthday => Covid19 roll-out in EUR countries Europe week => EU Citizen involvement • Campaign capacity building Webinar => Situation in Hungary • Achieving gender balance => EUR Functions => Strategy Statement of Work Road to 50 EUR roll-out Webinar => Situation in Belarus • Narrative roll-out to Countries

Collaboration / Growth Challenges 2020 European Academy programmes • Strengthen X-EUR collabor. • Country academies preparations started in 2020 • Country Academies growth • European-wide setup • Leadership development • Academy team capacity • NL => Run4Volt for Europe Digitalisation • Strategy => Volt Narrative roll-out • Digital Training framework Events

EUR Events 2020 Vision 2021 ● 3 General Assemblies • Strategic Action “Debating ● 3 Roundtables “Stand up to Racism” Culture” ● 4 Volt Meets Experts • Foster more exchange between ● 4 Volt Discussion Series National and Local Events ● 6 Meet Volt Europa (6th in 12/20) Teams ● 3 Volt Blind Dates • A physical GA 拾 ● 1 Workshops (Pro European Meet Up) • European Policy Meet Ups as ● 24 Digital European Events new format ● + tons of great Events with European focus organized • European Public (Cross-Border) by national and local teams:) Actions • Grow as team EUR Tech Team

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• Successful launches in 2020: • Services provided • Enhance our current ○ Volt Content Platform ○ Support of GAs and systems and incorporate ○ Tusker Mailing & LiveEvent participatory more solutions modules processes at EUR ○ Helpdesk ticketing solution and national level • Build more capacity ○ Beginning of migration ○ Volt.team towards European servers improvements for • Develop the Community architecture for Volt 3.0 • Team restructure (“The Pan-European party”) • Capacity Building Plan EUR Finance Team

Great success of Social Strong base finances impact campaigns ready to level up and become a centralised 2021 2019 organisation for MA’s Internal audit ● Started 2019 procedures go live preparing the move from Luxembourg to Belgium ● Building the ● First live budget sustainability of Volt discussion at GA in Finance so we can Sofia. run for years to come ● Mirta joined as Implementing an Implementing Co-lead focussing on unified accounting Membership fee Audit system collection technology Strategy Commission

Volt’s Vision: Lead by example to foster a united and federal Europe 7 Strategic Objectives 20 Strategic Actions

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

Strategy Workshops: ● Complete strategy process LV So far we ran 39 Workshop with LT with Chapters in progress 15 Chapters and ~200 participants ● Offer workshops to pending Chapters See Chapter status on the right: ● Facilitate development of EUR Strategic Actions not started ● Support chapters with strategy implementation

in progress HR ● Review strategy process internally strategy aligned GR ● Set goals for 2021

CY Third Volt Blind Date 02.-06.11.2020

Facts and Figures: > 21 Teams from BE, DE, IT, LU, NL and RO → 9 Meetings > Mostly international meetings! > Next step: match up topic specific

Procedure: > Pitch to your team > Register through our form (include pref. dates) > Get an invitation email > Blind date > Details in speaker notes! Your next Chance: Between the 25. and the 29.01.21 - save the date or register your team here! Chapter 4: National chapters Volt Danmark

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

More Denmark in Europe! To grow we must show Expanding our reach! • GA in January to bolster people what Volt can do - Introducing Democracy our 2021 political through viable actions and Drinks to Denmark strategy! partnerships - by being a Linking Volters with • Expand our reach clear political actor with Hungarians and Poles in through targeted clear political goals! Denmark expansion efforts. Building a Baltic network • Continue building our structure, gain campaign How we meet our challenges experience and RUN in We launched a buddy system to Our 2020 Major Success local municipal elections better connect members! - developing our team! in November 2021! Clear strategic communication via SoMe and Newsletters! Bi-weekly National Meetings! Volt Portugal

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• In June, we became an • Our district teams are • Local elections in 2021! official political party! growing and having lots • A campaign about the The 14th of Volt Europa. of media attention.. Portuguese Presidency of • We had our first GA in • A special hug for the the EU Council. September, electing the Braga, Porto, Coimbra, • Focusing on expansion • Bringing more female

party bodies. Lisbon, Santarém, members into Volt! Faro and Setúbal • We doubled the number teams! of female members in two months! Our 2020 Major Success: • A strategy for attracting First Portuguese GA! women into politics is

taking place and succeeding. Volt România

Our Road So Far ★January 2020: Our 2020 Major Success: Retreat at Timișoara with first retreat in passing of final Statute and January at Timișoara decision to found Volt România as political party

★Stable core team covering the most Our Next Steps important tasks. ★Finalization of party registration ★Well working external ★Development of policies communication on ★Support of independent social media, a monthly candidates in local and newsletter and a country general elections. ★ month event. External communication and growth in numbers. Volt France

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

Participation in elections Administrative Success • Growing our member • March/June: • Finally opened a bank base and trying to Participated in municipal account participate in regional elections in Paris, Lyon • Doubled our elections in June 2021 in and Lille missing our membership four regions first elected • Organised a General • Developing fundraising representative by 227 Assembly in Lyon and trying to solidify our votes organisation Accomplishments • Project “Avenir Europe” Our 2020 Major Success during confinement • Published a tribune and participated in debates • Invited by other parties to joint deliberations Volt Eesti

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• Expand! Building a • Reactivated the chapter • Joined the functional and and doubled the pro-marriage-equality multilingual national membership. coalition with plenty of team. • Set up SocMed channels work ahead. • Preparing for the 2021 and began work on local elections in Finland establishing local and Estonia. presence. Our 2020 Major Success Volt España

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

2020 a year of transition the development of a full All candidacies agree • In September we voted a electoral programme in • Our biggest focus for the new statute, bringing our Catalonia, where legislative year ahead is the election structure much closer to elections are forthcoming. in Catalonia. We are EUR model. • Madrid and Castille & León working hard to obtain • Having approved this are on track to have electoral representation. statute, we will hold programmes formalised • Volt Spain needs to grow -- internal elections next early 2021. more than double. This week, deciding the national • C&L published a pioneer requires processes in leadership for the next two policy on Rural depopulation.Our 2020 Major Success onboarding and internal years. comms, which we are #Europecares working to improve. Progress in Policy • We aimed to get 20k masks. • From the wishlist: closer • Other than statutes, the We got 45k. collab on Policy across EUR! year’s highlight has been Boom. Volt Italia

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps Participation in elections 3 General Assemblies • March: Parliamentary • Two online • Local elections 2021: we by-election in Roma • One physical GA in want to repeat the • January and September: Florence in September success and maybe Regional elections in 4 make it even bigger regions • Team PR, who will • September: Municipal increase our external elections, getting 5 relationships, will start elected representatives Our realised projects its action in two cities • Road to 50% Our 2020 Major Success • To spread always more • In the photo, the symbols • Motion on intersectional our EU spirit! of all our lists which ran feminism elections in September (3 regions and 6 cities) Volt Belgium

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• Adopted new statutes, • Membership growth and • Political vision internal rules and passing milestone of 100 • Campaigning strategy regulations in February members mid 2020 • New organogram including (currently at 136) governing bodies and • Increased gender balance functional teams with key within the organisation and leadership roles filled membership

• Kickstarted several new local chapters Our 2020 Major Success • Inauguration of first university chapter of Volt Belgium Volt Nederland

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

Prepared for national General milestones • National elections in elections • Further growth of our March 2021. Aiming for • Elected our fully gender local and functional 3 seats in Parliament. alternating list. teams. • Focus on building and • Voted in our national • First year of our professionalising our Mapping of Policies and Volttimers: three full organisation nationally. subsequently our time employees and • And actively sharing our electoral programme. interns. best practices, lessons • And more and more • Organised multiple learned and systems volunteers deciding to successful online Start of our campaign! with other Volt go (almost) full time for congresses and events Chapters. the campaign in 2021. to adapt to Covid. • Launched our weekly Voltcast. Volt Slovenija

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

Social media expansion Membership expansion Growth: we want to grow our • We started being active • Have grown to 5 active national chapter to 30 active on several social media members and some members by the end of the next volunteers. year platforms and we Official Political Party: we started to get (small) • Established bi-weekly want to create a political party but constant team meetings around the middle/end of next engagement of our year. NGO Cooperation followers • We have had contact • We have created small with a pan-European social media events for NGO and we’re trying to Our 2020 Major Success the entire year of 2020 create future projects and 2021 with them. Volt Luxembourg

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

Setting our objectives Writing and publishing - Strategy Process: and priorities our core values all of the members will • We have set the • We have put together be involved in the process of setting our priorities in Luxembourg the values that we deem objectives for the important in Volt on which Volt future elections and Luxembourg should Luxembourg, in line with get to work towards develop its program for the values voted at the the campaigns the next elections: GA of Volt Europa - Program and housing, climate, mobiliy • We ensured that Volt Our 2020 Major Success policies writing: the & traffic, education, Luxembourg was still members will work on work, citizens present in the political discussing, debating landscape by signing and drafting our program based on the petitions. priorities Volt Greece

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• We have managed to • We are looking for the organise bi-weekly most efficient way to online meetings • The interest among the attract new members members is burning and to interact with • We try to brainstorm people in Greece about the priorities and • Appointing the roles in our future goals the team • Re-activating the accounts of Volt Greece Our 2020 Major Success on social media Volt Ireland

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• Live events • Formalize our political party Events: Achievements: • Create policies for • Weekly Regular • Social Media and Ireland meetings Communication team • Online Social Events • Relationship with Volt

UK ❤ Challenges: • Monthly newsletter • Lack of native Irish Our 2020 Major Success • Pandemic hit our strong points Volt Sweden

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• We are a small but • New board elected in • Create sustainable dedicated team November this year teams in regions • Now expanding in 3 of • Caroline Berglind and • Apply the outcomes of Sweden’s 21 regions, Michael Holz re-elected or strategy workshop Stockholm, Skåne & as Co-Presidents with Volt Europa Östergötland. • Prepare for municipal elections in 2022. • We try to adjust our discussion meeting Our 2020 Major Success format VoltFOKUS to the virtual world due to the pandemic Volt Austria

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• Participated in Viennese • Steadily growing • Elaborate the strategy Elections 2020! number of members. for the next years. • Consolidated a • Organized Online Event • Establish our new dedicated Team. series, Street-Festival, governance. Techno-Demo and three • Encourage committed GAs. members to assure growth and prepare for next campaigns. • Created first Austrian Election program. Our 2020 Major Success • Gathered important experiences in campaigning. Volt Czechia

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• Participation in Prague • Biweekly online and • Prepare the national Pride 2020 offline meetings strategy 2021-2024 • Regular presence on • Founding an NGO with a • Elect board members of Social media, esp. transparent account to Volt Czechia Facebook and Instagram support further growth • Grow in numbers and create a stable team in Brno • Gain public visibility • New members recruited; 25 members Our 2020 Major Success in whole Czechia • Currently expanding in the two largest cities – Prague and Brno Volt Germany

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• Several successful local • 2 extraordinary GAs* to • First months of 2021: elections brought progress towards our electoral campaigns in 4 Volters in power goals. fed. States. • To achieve this, a • Stronger visibility in the • 26 September 2021: fast-paced development media( print, radio, federal Parliament was necessary podcasts) and Social Election Media • Getting all Teams ready for the campaign, and • New Taskforce onboarding as much as dedicated to the federal Our 2020 Major Success possible! election strategy: “High Voltage” • Bringing Volt’s Way to the streets with the Thematic Months Volt Malta

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

• Elected First Board • Launched #INeedMAP, a • Register the Party • Appeared in 2 Major project to increase officially news outlets access to contraceptives • Continues helping the in Malta local community • Participated in Webinar through projects on Sexual & Reproductive Health • Grew from 1 to 10 Rights along with other members parties’ representatives • Partook in various Our 2020 Major Success protests to safeguard public access to public land Volt UK

Our Road So Far Our Next Step

Online Events Policies and Strategy • Participate and • Two Party Conferences! • Defined the roadmap: campaign in local • Federalism: UK “Reform to Rejoin“ and regional challenges and • Initiated “Become a elections in 2021! continental ideas Candidate” campaign for

• Regular Brainstorms on upcoming elections Campaigns and Activism

Online Presence • Developed high quality video Our 2020 Major Success: campaign content So many events! • Increased content frequency for Facebook and Instagram Chapter 5: Movements Europe Cares

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

What we do: Why we do it: Expand our operations for We collected over 750 pallets We want to show how humanitarian aid and include of humanitarian aid across ordinary European citizens even more countries. Europe and sent 10 care about the suffering of shipments to Lesvos, as well refugees, who are living in Start new initiatives to put as other camps in Greece, unacceptable conditions pressure on politics to France, and Bosnia & across the continent. eventually bring positive Herzegovina, amounting to We strive to organize change. an approximate value of volunteers and build 1.2-1.5 million Euro. In the pressure to eventually Our 2020 Major Success Bring together actors in the process, we have engaged change our migration system humanitarian space to hundreds of people from towards respecting human unleash their potential and outside of Volt and built firm rights and dignity. inform politics. networks in the sector of humanitarian NGOs. Support of European citizens’ initiatives

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

Major partner of ECI campaigns in Europe • We will continue to organise events with our • With our support, we ECI partners Lessons learned have empowered • We try to present Volt

citizens to make their as a progressive • We understand more issues heard in Europe movement in which what it takes to engaged citizens want successfully implement • We have established to continue to do our own projects close links to politics even after their Our 2020 Major Success progressive civil actors ECI has ended

across Europe #StopHomelessness

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

Coordinated with Spanish Organised petition, raised • Continued partnership NGO Homelessness awareness in with #Homeless #HomelessEntrepreneur media, proposed solutions! Entrepreneur

• Advocacy work, awareness raising: call Our Petition was noted by the European Parliament, the European the PETI committee heard Volters and our partner, Institutions to pick up unanimous support to keep petition open! the work approved by

the PETI Committee! Proposals: Committee minutes of our “Housing First” programs to find homes for people Networking homeless people with available resources victory! Fight causes of homelessness, e.g. unemployment, debt etc. Values over Power!

Our Road So Far Our Next Steps

What we do: Why we do it: Running for elections to Volt Bulgaria protesting Corrupt government in challenge BG government against its corrupt Bulgaria in 2021 government for hundreds of days! Christian Democratic EU Continuing to raise (social) establishment, the EPP, media awareness on Volt Europa raising endorses and defends corruption in the EU! awareness on social media, their cronies in Bulgaria. and organising Planning advocacy email-writing campaigns to No EU media outrage, campaign towards the EU EU leaders. even though it cares about Institutions, calling for anti corruption outside of EU! corruption legislation! “I‘m so thankful that our team kept in touch and we supported each other” Johannes, DE “The resilience of Volt” “A platform science-based discussion where the Reinier, NL human factor is always pondered” Luis, PT

I'm grateful for Volt Portugal and all its members “I am grateful to have found a community Ana, PT that shares my value and fights for them” Andrea, IT “For the friendships and the shared experiences which allowed me to dream” Karam, DE “I’m thankful for sustaining values no matter what and growing stronger with every opportunity. Most of “Volt Belgium was restructured, the new board and all - respect and hope, is what will help us all. “ Kristiana, LV the people who are now in key positions are thriving 2020 the party in a structured way with lots of engagement” What are you Emeric, BZ thankful for?

“I am happy that I found Volt and that many members are sharing my point of view on many things” “I’m thankful that Volt gives me the opportunity to Elena, DE contribute with my knowledge to help Volt become more visible and help Volt to expand” Heiner, DE At the beginning of the year I had to pause my Volt activities to focus on completing my master’s degree. Despite the break I “Being part of a chapter that has grown its legal membership base by stayed in contact with Volters - and vice versa - and am happy more than 40%” to be back for new projects” Jérôme, BZ Frederic, DE “To have many nice social drinks in our digital purple bar on friday night withs the expansion community to forget about the lockdown and enjoy our European” connections” Fons, BE

“I am very grateful for the amazing team that I work with every day to grow Volt in Belgium and beyond” Carlo, BZ

“Feeling like I'm contributing to positive change through a pan-european movement, for all the enriching conversations and amazing people that I met “The possibilities, the achievements, and the through Volt” people of Volt” Sarah, BZ Gregor, DE

“Being such a dynamic and inspiring 2020 movement” Javier, ES What are you “Election results in Nordrhein-Westfalen” Peter, DE thankful for? “I am grateful for all the people in our City-team (Konstanz) that work really hard to make us succeed in the upcoming “I am grateful for all the successes Volt achieved regional elections in March!” despite the difficult covid situation” Stefan, DE Jelle, NL “Friendly colleagues from Volt Traunstein with hands on mentality and great work by Austrian general secretary to rebuild the whole chapter” Julian, DE SEE YOU IN 2021