Sebastián Rodríguez’s Post

#voltinthepress 18/2024 🇪🇺 This week from Slovakia, Portugal and Czechia - plus Italy, Malta, Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Greece in the collage 🗞 🇸🇰 Rick Zedník and Mikuláš Lakatoš, candidates at the European election for Volt Slovensko, wrote an article about the situation of Roma citizens in Slovakia, 20 years after the country and seven more joined the European Union. Rick and Mikuláš argue, even though Roma citizens have representation, that is not enough to make progress on social inclusion in the 21st century: “We need to train community representatives in policy-making processes.” Equal access to employment opportunities without discrimination must be enforced and companies that do not comply with inclusive employment must be sanctioned. Therefore an EU-wide anti-discrimination law to extend existing employment protection to other areas such as social security, education and the provision of goods and services, including housing must be introduced. https://lnkd.in/dPG76_MX 🇵🇹 In a guest article in Público by list leader for Volt Portugal Duarte Costa, list leader for Volt Belgium Sophie in 't Veld and Ana Gomes, former PS MEP, they reflect on 50 years of democracy in Portugal after the Carnation Revolution and also think about European democracy. “It's safe to say that European democracy is not in good health. The problems in Hungary, Poland and several other EU countries have caused real damage to common European values”, they argue. That is why Portuguese voters play an essential role, because few countries in Europe understand the power of democracy (and how fragile it can be) as well as Portugal. The revolution is not only a source of pride, but also an important lesson for the rest of Europe. Without a strong European anchor to keep the 27 members aligned and committed to the rules they have signed up to, things can get out of hand very quickly, critising hereby von der Leyens presidency. https://lnkd.in/dCiNqWT6 🇨🇿 In Seznam Zprávy, MEP Sophie in 't Veld gave an interview about her prescriptions for the upcoming European elections: Help Ukraine win the war, join the defence union and abolish the harmful veto, which “has never made the life of even a single EU citizen better”. Also she is calling former Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš “not a liberal, [who] should not be in a liberal faction” with his party ANO. https://lnkd.in/dpyzkVmV

Here some of the key messages from our Digital Day!

#voltinthepress 07/2024 🇪🇺 This week from Slovakia, Portugal/Austria and Germany - plus Belgium, the Netherlands, Czechia, France, Greece and Italy in the collage 🗞 🇸🇰 On February 14th Volt Slovensko announced that the Slovak Ministry of Interior has accepted their application and registered them as a political party, the 20th inside of Volt Europa, report RTVS, TASR and SITA, among others. "After collecting significantly more than 10 thousand valid signatures, it has been confirmed that Slovaks want us to bring Europe to Slovakia after twenty years of membership in the European Union," list leader for the EP elections Lucia Klestincova says. According to her, the candidate list represents a picture of the diversity of their country in terms of the generations, regions, genders, communities and professions represented. "Volt Slovensko offers the candidacy of ten dynamic and experienced leaders to represent all Slovaks who also consider themselves Europeans," says Co-Chair Rick Zedník. https://lnkd.in/d-g285PE 🇵🇹 🇦🇹 Cármen Sonnberger is Volt Portugal's candidate for the 2024 National Parliamentary elections in the European constituency. She is of Portuguese-Austrian descent and is also active in Volt Österreich, where she is third on the list of candidates for the European Parliament elections. "My dual candidacy is only possible with a pan-European party, which allows me to participate in the political life of Portugal and Austria at the same time, something I think is especially important for the Portuguese diaspora, which is often subjected to chronic neglect by its rulers," Sonnberger said to Gazeta Lusófona. https://lnkd.in/dYvcaNnE 🇩🇪 Volt is running for the first time in the 12th-biggest German city Dresden for the city council elections this year, writes TAG24 NEWS Deutschland GmbH. The overarching goal is to achieve climate neutrality in the city by 2035. In view of the increasing demand for skilled labour in the region, a welcoming culture for immigrants is also necessary. The misappropriation of living space should be stopped and long-term vacancies should be made available to the creative scene. The group's main focus is on the European level. "Cooperation across national borders is our basic principle," explained Volt candidate Sebastian Holz, by expanding its town twinning programmes and promoting multilingualism in the school system more strongly. https://lnkd.in/dT5w5-UY

"🌍🚀 2024: A Year of Unprecedented Change in European Politics! 🌟 As Europe stands at a crossroads, every shift in the political landscape could signal new opportunities or challenges for businesses. Are you ready to navigate these changes? At Rud Pedersen Public Affairs Bulgaria, we specialize in navigating these complex political terrains. Public Affairs is about understanding how governmental decisions impact industries and how businesses can positively affect political outcomes. Our expertise lies in crafting strategies that align corporate goals with public policy, ensuring that businesses not only adapt to and thrive under new regulations and political climates but are also prepared to actively participate in policymaking with a clear understanding and argumentation. The question here is whether we can expect a lot of new legislation or a continuation of existing policies with the forthcoming new European Parliament and the next Commission President. The anticipated changes will inevitably impact sectors across the board, presenting both new challenges and opportunities. Amid these internal and external dynamics, every business requires careful navigation and strategic foresight. Rud Pedersen Public Affairs is here to help your business anticipate, actively participate, and understand policy changes, ensuring you are always a step ahead and prepared to successfully navigate and adapt to new business and legislative environments. In a series of posts leading up to the European elections, Rud Pedersen Public Affairs Bulgaria will guide navigating the evolving political and policy landscapes, as well as identifying national and European intersections and emerging business opportunities across various sectors. What role does Bulgaria play in shaping European policymaking, what are the national priorities, and what impact can they potentially have on the business environment? Connect with us to discover how our public affairs expertise can benefit your business during these transformative times. 🤝 Gergana Aneva Kalina Angelova Iliya Dzhongarov Morten Rud Pedersen Alfonso López Myron Wasylyk Oksana Monastyrska Line Tresselt Kristina Lindahl von Sydow Andreas Krohn Jens Hjorth-Larsen Kristian Hvilen Susanna Korpivaara Jonatan Tylsgaard Larsen Kairi Uustulnd Andreas Kaju Ralfs Vīlands Vladlens Kovalevs Raminta Rimkiene Izabela Van den Bossche Hendrik Hagemann Jon Aarons James Stevens Caroline Marchetti Alexandria Hicks Jacob Lund Nielsen #EuropeanPolitics #PublicAffairs #EuropeanElections2024 #RudPedersenPublicAffairs

“Civic tech can definitely give people a seat at the table, who otherwise might not have had one" 📣📱 We had the honour to talk to Democracy Technologies about our ongoing initiative EurHope (eurhope.org, with JEF Europe). #Europe is facing many #crises, all these various challenges highly impact European citizens, and in particular #youth. “The good news is that destiny is in our hands – we’re not doomed, there is space for hope and destiny”,  as stated by our Head of European Affairs, Hendrik Nahr. We are proud to say that Make.org is providing a concrete answer, with our project #EurHope. The goal of our #campaign is to encourage an unprecedented #dialogue on a #European scale. This will allow Make.org to identify the priorities of young Europeans ahead of the #EP2024 elections. We constitute “a unique #participatory initiative that will reach out to one million young #citizens in the 27 EU member states over the course of a year”. Results will be released in the form of a Citizen’s Agenda in Madrid in November 2023. They will serve as a lever for the massive activation of young people to share their ideas with elected representatives and members of civil society more broadly. The article also touches upon the #synergies between online and offline participation. We believe they are one of the solutions to strengthen democracy. As stated by Hendrik in our conversation with #Democracy Technologies, we believe that “#deliberative and participatory, #panels and #platforms can go hand-in-hand ”. Axel Dauchez Alicia Combaz Alexis Prokopiev Jules Kuhn Rebecca Maumet Javier Morales López Antonio Argenziano Judit Lantai Erica Beccarello

Over the past three days, I had the privilege of being in Brussels with the Association of International & European Affairs | ΟΔΕΘ for a Study Visit specifically designed for Content Creators and Lead Volunteers. This initiative, organized by the EPLO of Athens and together.eu, aimed to deepen our understanding of the upcoming EU 2024 Elections campaign and explore how we can contribute to fostering a robust electoral turnout. Our journey included insightful discussions with distinguished figures such as Jaume Duch Guillot, the Director General for Communication and European Parliament Spokesperson, on the intricacies of EU Elections campaign strategies. We also had the honor of conversing with EP Vice-President Dimitrios Papadimoulis about the prospects of our continent, and engaged with the brilliant Elena Lazarou on the pivotal role of research in the EP's policymaking process. The dialogues extended to human rights, where Stefan Krauss shared invaluable perspectives on promotion and protection efforts, including the Sakharov Prize. A visit with Ms. Sofia Asteriadi from the European Commission offered a window into the Commission's workings and priorities. This experience was not only enlightening but also incredibly inspiring, reinforcing the importance of active participation in shaping a better, safer, more sustainable, and friendlier European Union. The encounters with such visionary leaders underscored the collective effort required to enhance EU elections turnout. As we look forward to the 6th of June, let's remember the power of our vote. It's a chance to voice our hopes for the future of Europe. Voting is not just a right; it's a responsibility. Because if we don't make a choice, someone else will make it for us. Let's contribute to shaping the EU we believe in. #useyourvote

ONLINE DISCUSSION 💬 EURACTIV Slovakia, in cooperation with EURACTIV Czechia, EURACTIV Poland, and Political Capital, cordially invites you to an online discussion titled EU Elections: A win for Visegrad Four? Discussion will be held on 19 June 2024 from 10 AM to 11.30 AM CET online via Zoom. ABOUT THE EVENT The recent European Parliament elections and the formation of a new European Commission have shaken up Brussels. Did they bring good news or bad news for V4 countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland?) What are the V4’s priorities for the next five years? On what issues can they form a united front? And who are the rumoured Visegrad Commissioners? Topics for discussion: ▪ V4 priorities and their alignment with the new EP and Commission ▪ Common positions of V4 countries and their differences ▪ Representation of V4 among EU’s top jobs SPEAKERS 🎤 Vladimír Bilčík, Member of the European Parliament (Group of the European People's Party, Christian Democrats) 🎤 Tomas Valasek, Member of Parliament, Slovak Republic (Progresívne Slovensko) 🎤 Dorka Takacsy, Foreign Policy Expert and Researcher, Centre for Euro- Atlantic Integration and Democracy 🎤 Pavlína Janebová, Research Director,AMO (Asociace pro mezinárodní otázky/Association for International Affairs) 🎤 other panelists tba Discussion will be chaired by Barbara Zmuskova, Editor at EURACTIV Slovensko. If you wish to attend the event, please fill in a registration form here. Registration is free of charge, via the link bellow 👇 https://lnkd.in/eCyB6BdA EURACTIV.cz EURACTIV Poland Political Capital

ONLINE DISCUSSION 💬 EURACTIV Slovakia, in cooperation with EURACTIV Czechia, EURACTIV Poland, and Political Capital, cordially invites you to an online discussion titled EU Elections: A win for Visegrad Four? Discussion will be held on 19 June 2024 from 10 AM to 11.30 AM CET online via Zoom. ABOUT THE EVENT The recent European Parliament elections and the formation of a new European Commission have shaken up Brussels. Did they bring good news or bad news for V4 countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland?) What are the V4’s priorities for the next five years? On what issues can they form a united front? And who are the rumoured Visegrad Commissioners? Topics for discussion: ▪ V4 priorities and their alignment with the new EP and Commission ▪ Common positions of V4 countries and their differences ▪ Representation of V4 among EU’s top jobs SPEAKERS 🎤 Monika Beňová (tbc), Member of European Parliament (Smer-SSD / Non- Affiliated) 🎤 Dorka Takacsy, Foreign Policy Expert and Researcher, Centre for Euro- Atlantic Integration and Democracy 🎤 Pavlína Janebová, Research Director,AMO (Asociace pro mezinárodní otázky/Association for International Affairs) 🎤 other panelists tba Discussion will be chaired by Barbara Zmuskova, Editor at EURACTIV Slovakia. If you wish to attend the event, please fill in a registration form here. Registration is free of charge, via the link bellow 👇 https://lnkd.in/eAsWHdR9 EURACTIV.cz EURACTIV Poland Political Capital

How did the 🌹Social Democratic Party🌹 in Estonia took a leap to digitally transform to make sure they don't leave members out of important decision-making processes? "The need came in response to the pandemic, which utterly changed the way we worked. Prior to that, we had never used online tools for decision-making and it was a completely new departure for us. Even having Members of the Parliament attending board meetings via Skype was quite rare. It was just normal that the commute to attend a two-hour meeting from one city to another took 2.5 hours each way," they shared. This, however, is no longer an issue! 🌟 🔎 Read our freshly published case study how the oldest political party in Estonia organised their general assembly and internal elections with the support of the Citizen OS online participation platform. 🙏 Thanks a million to Maris Sild from the Social Democratic Party in Estonia for sharing their story with us. 💡Want to learn more about the Citizen OS online participation platform? PS: It's free, secure, ad-free and open source! https://lnkd.in/dsJuHsJ4

Is your voice ready to shape Europe? 🇪🇺 The countdown for the European Election has begun! #VoteforEurope 🎓 Yesterday - as we celebrated Europe Day, and just a few days after submitting my Master’s Thesis - I found myself having the time to reflect on just how dynamic and fragile our continental politics remain. This day was especially significant for me as I attended an enlightening event at the Hertie School with Damian Boeselager, Volt Europa co-founder and lead candidate for Volt Deutschland at the upcoming European Elections. 💡Despite a slightly shaky joint selfie (a good reminder that even in our fast-paced digital age, some things like capturing the perfect photo remain a serious challenge), Damian’s vision for a progressive and integrated Europe resonated clearly with the audience and me. His message was clear and compelling, drawing us all into the urgent need for thoughtful action in the upcoming European Election. 🌍With key policies on energy, climate, and migration at stake, this election is not merely about political preferences but about securing a future that aligns with our collective European ideals - transcending political affiliations. ✊I realise that not everyone in my network is as vocal about politics, but these Elections are about the future we share. Whether you are deeply interested in political currents or typically more reserved, your vote holds power. 🗳️Let’s approach these Elections with the awareness they deserve. Not just to vote, but to vote with intention and hope for a Europe that continues to thrive on democracy and progressive values. So, let’s not just stand by: let’s stand up and make our voices heard - democracy thrives in participation. #FutureofEurope