As the world becomes more interconnected, cross-border political movements are emerging to address issues on a global scale. This has led to changes in the traditional approach to political campaigning. The upcoming June 2024 European Parliament elections provide a preview of the future of political communication, with fresh players like Volt Europa running pan-EU campaigns. With a single member in the outgoing European Parliament, the party is looking to expand its representation significantly in the next legislature.
A fragmented world, a united vision
Europe is confronting a polycrisis. From geopolitical tensions to climate change, economic anxieties to social inequalities, the challenges we face demand a response beyond national borders. While individual countries often struggle to overcome these issues, Volt Europa believes unity and collaboration are crucial to forging a brighter future for all Europeans.
Marianne Mandujano, the European political campaign lead/manager, shared her insights on working towards a united European vision with her colleagues, members, and supporters across borders. Raised in Norway and Spain with a Norwegian mother and Peruvian father, Marianne’s experience has fostered a strong desire to realise the objectives of the EU project. Following the UK’s disillusionment post-Brexit, Marianne was more motivated than ever to focus on the campaign’s goals. In our interview, she expounded on the main pillars and differentiation from other political families and parties, emphasising the need for a more united Europe that can tackle global challenges such as climate change and economic inequalities.
Reimagining the campaign
This belief in a united Europe translates into a campaign strategy that transcends traditional boundaries. Here’s how Volt Europa approaches a pan-EU campaign:
- Shared values, pan-European message: Beyond national narratives, the campaign emphasises European values like peace, solidarity, fairness, and sustainability. This core message is then adapted to resonate with local concerns in each country, but here’s the catch: these teams have worked closely together, from policy to communication, to craft and adapt the main messages in these contexts. In that sense, the strategy is adapted collaboratively by the separate national and European teams. This is one of the rare novelties of the movement. “Imagine we elect MEPs from the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, or Slovenia,” said Marianne. “They will have all run with one shared, joint electoral campaign programme, advocating for standard solutions to our most pressing challenges. We are the only ones doing this across the EU.”
- Local faces, global vision: Local candidates and stories are featured alongside the broader vision, ensuring cultural relevance and connection with diverse audiences.
- Multilingual, multi-channel communication: The message reaches diverse audiences through various languages and channels, utilising social media, online platforms, town halls, and local media partnerships.
- Revolutionising the manifesto: The Policy Leads of Volt Europa estimate that more than 60 Volt members have directly contributed, as members of the Policy Team, to the Electoral Programme Process since the Policy Team started this project in May 2022. However, given that Volt members can and did participate in the Electoral Programme Process without joining the Policy Team directly, the Policy Leads estimate that hundreds of Volt members contributed directly and indirectly to the Electoral Moonshot Programme. Various participatory processes enabled input and feedback from all Volt members and political leadership at European, national, and local level. The manifesto was presented at the General Assembly of the party in Paris last November.
The vision they fight for
The Future-Made-in-Europe campaign focuses on three key pillars:
- A better EU: The party highlights the importance of the EU in promoting peace and prosperity in Europe.
- A more just society: The campaign calls for a more just and equitable society where everyone can thrive and access the necessary resources.
- An innovation-friendly and climate-neutral economy: the campaign emphasises the need for an innovation-friendly, climate-neutral economy that can address the challenges of climate change and provide sustainable growth for future generations.
More than just a campaign
Beyond individual pledges, the campaign showcases Volt Europa’s commitment to different ways of doing politics. They emphasise transparency, collaborative decision-making across borders, and evidence-based policies. This approach resonates with a population increasingly aware of the limitations of traditional politics and yearning for change.
Joining the movement
The Future-Made-in-Europe campaign transcends the boundaries of traditional political campaigning. It’s a call to action, inviting citizens to join a movement for a better Europe built on shared values, not divided by national interests. This shift in political communication could pave the way for a more collaborative and impactful approach to tackling our challenges in an increasingly interconnected world.
About the author: Roza Ismailai is the Head of Communications/Public Relations Manager for Volt Europa. She formulates strategy to boost Volt Europa’s reputation brand PR.
