EU Elections: Gauging the Volt-age
Edition 103
EU Elections have finally become interesting
The far right may have gone too far, even for itself! Maximilian Krah the German boss of the AfD party claimed to the Italian daily La Repubblica, Krah said he would “never say that anyone who wore an SS uniform was automatically a criminal.” Talk about not having a filter, or any humanity! That comment got him and his party kicked out of the upcoming EU elections.
Europe’s 27 member states are set to go to the polls to vote in European Parliamentary elections from 6-9 June 2024. And the usually boring run up is turning into quite the drama. EU elections have historically seen a low turnout with a lacklustre interest on part of voters. To top that, this year many expect the rise of far-right nationalism to be reflected in pan-European results as well, with supporters the ones most likely to turn up to vote.
Led by the ilk of Italy’s far-right leader Georgia Meloni and the increasing relevant (again) Marine Le Pen these are the parties vociferously against women’s equality, abortion, immigration. They stand on the platform of populism and nationalism (aka racism) most recently driven by the cost-of-living crisis.
The BBC claims the far right may now get as many as 3 votes out of 10 in these EU elections making it a powerful force capable of derailing much of the EU’s policies on the Green Deal, immigration etc. But you never know if these parties will end up cannibalising their own winning streak, if more like Maximilian Krah emerge.
But it’s probably not the time to be complacent, considering in the recent past the far right has won elections in Italy and the Netherlands. It leads the polls in France, where Marine’s party is looking like a serious contender once again to defeat President Macron’s in 2027. The far right have also won Austria and Belgium and now have a stake in the governments of Finland and Slovakia.
Let’s talk Slovakia
As the EU campaigning was at its height in the small CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) country, a violent assassination attempt last week on its new (old) Prime Minister made international headlines. Robert Fico is now recovering (his condition is being described as serious but stable) from being shot multiple times, in what’s being described as “the most serious attack on a European leader in decades.”
Slovakia’s high stakes drama ahead of the EU elections has put it front and centre in international news. But not many outside the CEE region understand the varied issues dominating the country which borders Ukraine and has a population of 5.4 million people.
Robert Fico’s policies since taking power was seen as showcasing the divisive politics between backers of his right-wing nationalist and anti-immigration policies, and his opponents who accused him of eroding democracy. The shooting prompted pleas from Slovakian officials including the liberal outgoing President and the conservative President elect for political parties to reduce tensions. Some parties even suspended EU election campaigning as concerns were expressed about the risk of civil war.
The drama seems to revolve around a new media bill that cracks down Russia-style on press freedoms. PM Fico was set to debate it on the date of the shooting. A bill that according to the New York Times, cited the European Commission as saying risked doing “irreparable damage” to the rule of law in Slovakia.
Slovakia’s political landscape is an example of countries in the region. Its political sphere is young. Quite young! 13 of the 24 parties running are less than 15 years old and are based on personality politics, rather than a party agenda - aka Fico and his close friend who will become President in June, Peter Pellegrini. A Slovak party’s rise and fall revolves around a single leader and their fortunes.
To understand what we can expect in the days ahead I dug a little deeper into the newest party, to join the race for Slovak representation at the European Parliament, Volt Slovakia.
Why I chose to feature Volt
Volt Europa is all about gender equality and representation. Having quite recently entered the public psyche, the party professes to be resolutely progressive.
To that end, Volt has 2 European lead candidates: 1 woman, 1 man. Volt claims to always strive to have gender balance, starting from the top, all the way down. That, and it’s pan-European politics (very pro-EU) and a young base has more liberal news organisations watching it with interest. But not everyone is a fan of its federalist approach.
According to its manifesto, Volt seeks to implement ‘stronger non-discrimination and gender equality laws’, ‘increase legal pathways for migration into Europe’ and ‘lead the way’ in reducing ‘immediate and future effects of climate change’.
Officially founded in 2017, its first national party was formed in Germany in 2018. Since then Volt has established local teams in all EU member states, as well as in Albania, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. The party now has more than 25,000 members across Europe and over 140 elected officials in 6 countries (Germany, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy and Portugal).
In the upcoming EU elections Volt is running candidates in 15 member states (countries, for the non-European reader), doubling its representation from the 2019 elections.
Volt Slovakia
Volt Slovensko (aka Volt Slovakia or Volt SK) is the newest kid on the bloc having been registered in Slovakia in February 2024. That makes it also the newest of 24 parties running in Slovakia, with Volt claiming it is also the country’s fastest growing political party. Volt Slovakia will have 10 candidates confirmed to run in the European Parliament elections, with 6 of the 10 being women (scheduled for 8 June 2024 in Slovakia).
The two Co-Chairs of Volt Slovakia (gender balanced), bookending their candidate list, are:
Lucia Kleštincová, is a former EU bureaucrat having served as advisor to varied EU institutions like the European Commission with a core focus on industrial policy, digitisation of public procurement, Brexit and on equality topics. Lucia has also been a trainer, consultant and career coach, before entering the political sphere.
Rick Zednik, was the co-founder of the English language weekly The Slovak Spectator. He has worked for The Wall Street Journal in Brussels and served as the CEO of the independent network of EU political reporters Euractiv.com, later becoming the executive director of the global network Women Political Leaders (WPL).
Here’s a peek into Slovak politics in Rick’s words:
“It is difficult to apply traditional left-right political labels to Slovak parties. Unfortunately, they have become more fractured along a spectrum of populism / nationalism / isolationism versus pro-Europeanism / Trans-Atlanticism. Volt, as the only party in Slovakia to advocate a federal Europe, is at the European extreme.
I took the opportunity to interview both Lucia and Rick to understand the landscape they are navigating, and how they see this EU election playing out.
Note from the editor: This interview has not been edited and comprise verbatim answers from the Volt Slovakia candidates.
Interview
Maithreyi: Why are the EU elections in 2024 so important for the Slovak public and what is so different about Volt compared to other parties? Can you explain the Volt thinking behind standing two candidates of two genders?
Lucia: One thing that attracted me to Volt is its commitment to representative politics, inclusive leadership, and gender equality. In Slovakia, we walk the talk. Volt SK members are a majority female, which is unheard of in Slovakia. Volt is the first party in Slovakia to both have a woman leader and run a list of candidates that are majority women.
Rick: Volt always aims to run co-lead candidates of different genders to send the signal that we represent society as a whole. The symbolism of having two voice, two faces is an important message of inclusiveness.
Maithreyi: What sets you both apart from other candidates and what is the key topical focus for you if you win?
Lucia: After a career as a European official in Brussels and maternity service, I bring a new culture of leadership to the political space. I do this not only within Volt, but also as a trainer, consultant, and career coach specializing in female leadership and burnout prevention. I am running so that the representation of Slovak interests has a real chance to be promoted at the European level, professionally and with heart.
Rick: My career in journalism and politics has been about informing and connecting people. In 1995, I co-founded the English-language newspaper The Slovak Spectator as a way of connecting Slovaks with the world outside of Slovakia. That’s also what we’re doing with Volt SK: building new bridges that will enable Slovaks to thrive on the European and world stage. If elected, I’ll seek to focus on issues of free press, equality and human rights, and strengthened international relations, especially via diplomacy and trade.
Maithreyi: The results of Slovakia's national and presidential elections exemplify the political polarisation in the country. What changed for Slovaks in the past few years and what is the current mood of the electorate?
Rick: I harken back to 2018 and the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusinirova. That shocked the country to its core and the population insisted on changes to the government. Two unproven outsiders were then swept to victory: Zuzana Caputova was elected president in 2019 and Igor Matovic was elected Prime Minister following the Parliamentary election of 2020. In the case of Caputova, she proved highly capable of doing the job. But Prime Minister Matovic was forced to resign after only two years on the job, and Slovakia has had five prime ministers in the past five years.
Lucia: This instability frustrated many Slovaks and created a leadership vacuum. In turn, this left space for disinformation and propaganda, which polarised society and convinced enough voters in September to support Robert Fico’s return for a fourth term as Prime Minister.
Maithreyi: Are youth and women more engaged as voters in 2024, as we are seeing in elections in other parts of the world, like India for example? How is Volt appealing to them?
Lucia: We saw from the start that major segments of Slovak society are under-represented in politics. This includes women, who make up only 20 percent of the Slovak national parliament. It also includes young people, as well as important communities of linguistic and ethnic minorities, as well as LGBTQI Slovaks. It has been important to us to give voice to these communities as Volt members and candidates.
Rick: You see our list of 10 candidates includes six women. It includes two of the only three Roma among 308 candidates running from Slovakia in these elections. Of those 308 candidates, Volt has two of only six that are under 25 years old – the only party with two such candidates. Volt is giving these voices a chance to be heard.
Maithreyi: The Roma population across the EU and especially Slovakia have been politically disenfranchised. Do you have an active plan for this minority group to have a voice in the country's needs at the EU level?
Lucia: Yes, it starts with representation, which we have already mentioned. Providing opportunities for responsibility where the Roma perspectives have been historically absent is important. But the work does not end there. It moves quickly to responsiveness. It is vital to offer training and development opportunities so that elected representatives build the skills and acquire the tools to have a positive impact and successfully lead these communities in developing solutions to the current challenges.
Rick: Volt’s cross-border nature is a platform made for under-represented segments of the population like Europe’s Roma communities. Imagine Volt parties in Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and elsewhere combining their strength to advocate for Roma advancement at a European level. Within Volt, we have started to explore ways the national chapters can advance this agenda in the coming months and years.
Maithreyi: Historically, turnout for EU elections hasn't been high across Europe. And Slovakia has consistently had the lowest turnout in those EU elections since the country joined the bloc in 2004.
Do you believe the voting public feels the EU Parliamentary elections and the issues/platform you are standing on are relevant to them? What will it take in Slovakia & the EU, to ensure people turn up to vote?
Lucia: It’s a paradox, because Slovaks are by and large content to stay in the EU. Unlike any of their Visegrad neighbours, Slovaks benefit from being in the eurozone. There are no mainstream parties calling to leave the EU. Yet, as you say, Slovakia has been the poster child for apathy towards European elections. There is a segment of the population who are hostile towards the EU, thanks in large part to populist and anti-EU rhetoric from several political parties. This clearly does not encourage citizens to vote. But we at Volt believe there’s an important minority of the population who are seeking a more European voice to represent their strongly European identity.
Rick: The other practical reality is that the EU elections run on the same 5-year cycle as Slovakia’s Presidential elections, and have always closely followed two rounds of presidential elections. This year is even worse, because of the snap general elections held in September, meaning Slovaks are being asked to go to the polls for the fourth time in nine months. Some polls suggest turnout will reach a new high of 30 percent. I’m highly sceptical.
Maithreyi: What are your expectations from the elections of June 6-9th 2024? If you win a seat, what do you want to accomplish in your term?
Lucia: Let’s remember that Volt SK is the newest party in Slovakia, having been registered less than four months before the election. So, this is the first test of how ready are proudly European Slovaks to accept Volt’s pioneering brand of cross-border politics.
Rick: Volt SK is in this for the long-term. This is our first step of many. The question is how high will that first step be? We’re confident that there is an appetite for what we’re offering and that we will sneak up on some observers, out-performing the expectations of many so-called experts.
Maithreyi: How do you see the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico impacting how citizens view the EU elections/ candidates?
Lucia: Coming three and half weeks before the election as it did, it badly disrupted the campaign. The news was also quickly hijacked by politicians seeking to use the shooting for political gain. Slovaks are not fools. They see the cynicism behind this and are disgusted. Whether that motivates them to vote will be seen.
Rick: I couldn’t have said it any better.
Note from the editor: The EU elections will take place June 6-9 2024; EU Elections in Slovakia will be held on June 8, 2024
This interview has not been edited and verbatim answers from the Volt SK candidates.