“Territorial conquest and wars belong to Europe’s past,” Sven Franck, candidate for co-chair of Volt Europa, tells Politis. “We envision a Europe of the future, one that countries want to join because it protects and honours diversity and seeks cooperation.” He also responds to questions about whether Volt Cyprus should be considered a left-wing or right-wing party.
Franck, 49, is from Germany and is currently running for co-chair of Volt Europa. He is conducting a cross-border campaign, visiting local Volt groups across European Union member states. He was in Cyprus on 4-5 April.
When and why was Volt Europa founded?
Volt Europa was founded in 2017 by three students from Germany, Italy and France in response to Brexit, the election of Donald Trump and the rise of populist politics. We are a citizens’ movement that wants to do politics differently – in a more responsible and democratic way.
What are Volt Europa’s main political goals?
Volt is a European movement. We look beyond national borders to cooperate, learn from one another and find common solutions to the major challenges of our time. We work toward a united Europe, one that uses our diversity as a strength and is able to speak on behalf of all member states on the geopolitical stage.
Defence
Volt Europa supports strengthening European defence and the creation of a European army. Can defence ultimately bring peace between states and peoples?
The idea behind the European Union is to secure peace through economic cooperation. However, faced with the irrationality of certain global actors who disregard the international order, we also need a strong military deterrent. We cannot protect Greenland through diplomacy alone, just as Denmark cannot protect Greenland by itself. Europe must stand united, and Volt believes this should also mean a common European defence rather than 27 separate, uncoordinated armies. Unfortunately, our past reminds us that joint European rearmament is preferable to each member state rearming on its own.
Ukraine
Is there a diplomatic way out of Russia’s war against Ukraine?
A diplomatic solution would require trust on both sides, without a winner but also without anyone being labelled a loser. That is very difficult to imagine in the current context. In some ways, it resembles the situation in Cyprus: on the negative side, we have a conflict that remains unresolved and appears prolonged; on the positive side, people from both communities want to live together peacefully.
Iran
What is Volt Europa’s position on the war involving the United States and Israel against Iran?
We support neither the oppressive regime in Iran nor the United States and Israel launching a war without solid grounds and in violation of the international order. We are already starting to see the consequences of this war. These go far beyond higher fuel prices at the pump and pose much greater risks to our economies, an increase in refugee numbers and overall stability in the Middle East. To improve the situation, leaders on all sides need to reflect on their actions, possible miscalculations and consequences – something we unfortunately do not see happening in the near future.
Europe of the future
What is the role of the EU in a rapidly changing world where international law is being eroded?
Prosperity in Europe has been built on the international order. We have drawn painful lessons from the past, and we believe the EU and our national leaders must defend cooperation based on principles, values and trust. Territorial conquest and wars belong to the Europe of the past. We envision a Europe of the future that countries want to join because it protects and honours diversity and seeks cooperation. It must be a Europe capable of defending itself, but also one that stands as a model for how our global society should function.
Many European citizens fear that Brussels could become a directorate governing people far removed from decision-making centres. How can this gap be closed, given the prevailing sense of alienation?
The real question is what Europe is and what we want the European Union to be. The distance between institutions and citizens is artificial. Why does the Commission President deliver the State of the Union address at 9am, when hardly anyone is watching? Why do we not call the European Commission a government? Why is the European Parliament the only parliament in the world that cannot initiate legislation? Our national governments create and maintain this distance instead of bridging it. We believe it is time to write the next chapter of the European Union. No one says the EU must become like the United States; France will never become Kentucky. Our European Union should be the sum of our national identities, with 27 cultures we respect, but not 27 bureaucracies. Volt Europa works in this direction, and we must demand that our national governments recognise that we are stronger together and take the next step by updating the treaties.
Left or right
Volt Cyprus is often asked whether it is a left-wing or right-wing party. What is your answer?
We try to combine the best elements of both political traditions. We want to unite Europe, which is why Volt aims to act as a platform for building consensus and majorities across different political ideologies. Our elected representatives across Europe sometimes work with Social Democrats, sometimes with Greens, sometimes with Liberals and even with Conservatives. That is our understanding of political realism, which is absolutely necessary in a climate of polarisation and populism.