Sven Franck

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻-𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺

@fosdem@fosstodon.org, the world's largest open-source conference took place last weekend in Brussels. And while I was pitching to have our @volteuropa@bird.makeup MEPs speak in the EU Policy sessions next year, the conference organizers announced they wanted #FOSDEM to become more political (@RichiH@chaos.social).

Perfect, because it's time Europe takes #opensource more serious.

👉🏻 Blog post on:
https://svenfranck.eu/en/blog/United-in-Diversity-means-making-open-source-mainstream.html

Guess what? After months of "Let's get the party started", we finally held our founding General Assembly yesterday to register @voltslovenija@mastodon.social as a political party 🥳

This was a team effort and I'm super-proud to have been part of this adventure and seeing so many members taking responsibilities, chasing friends and relatives for signatures and organizing such a cool event.

👉🏻 We made the news: https://siol.net/novice/slovenija/ustanovljena-nova-politicna-stranka-volt-slovenija-689089

👉🏻 and national TV: https://www.rtvslo.si/rtv365/arhiv/175213391?s=mmc

Fotos: Bobo/Žiga Živulović jr

(Catch-up post from my transnational listening tour to Lille 🇫🇷)

I couldn't miss May 1st and the traditional soup festival, on which associations and political parties cook soup for a few thousand visitors to try.

I was happy to see my former Lille team becoming a staple. It shows how continuous work builds our brand 💜
👉🏻 We discussed politics, next year's presidential elections and the parliamentary elections right after.
👉🏻 It was also great to meet fellow candidate Oliver Forberich

Next stop on my listening tour after Ede: Leiden 🇳🇱

I met the local team to discuss how to
👉🏻 activate more members,
👉🏻 find the right spots to contribute
👉🏻 build up the profiles of future candidates

💡 We agreed networking is crucial - whether in the local Tennis club or in European initiatives.

Thank you for taking the time 💜

(catch-up post from my transnational listening tour)

I stress-tested the Deutschland-Ticket switching many trains to meet Volt Dresden

👉🏻 We discussed the #fediverse and Volt playing a role of pushing decentralised platforms
👉🏻 to the political pressure from the extreme-right and the feeling of being left behind - now also across all of Germany!

"The future of democracy will be decided in Europe":
https://www.nzz.ch/meinung/ein-ende-der-scheinheiligkeit-europa-kann-nicht-die-welt-retten-aber-sich-selbst-ld.1904073
👉🏻 This has to be our focus.

Thanks of hosting me @die_lila_Schulbank@dresden.network

I took the early train 🥱 to Brussels to attend the EYL40 Alumni event before joining the @voltbelgium@bird.makeup Meet&Greet to talk Volt Europa co-presidency 😊

We discussed how to grow a local team in the Euro-Bubble and being visible in the media. 💡This is where Volt Europa can really help if we develop our political weight and visibility.

Guess we need to work on our costumes but it was a great pleasure to join Volt Germany's Fabian Gaukel in his official mission to represent the city of #Karlsruhe 🇩🇪 at the #karneval 🎭 of its #twinning city #Rijeka 🇭🇷

Ljubljana 🇸🇮 is also twinning with Rijeka, but apparently didn't send any representatives - something to work on in the future with @voltslovenija@mastodon.social 😌

After the Hague, I met the team members of Volt Rotterdam

👉🏻 I described "Fame, Fortune, Style and Substance" to build and candidate profiles
👉🏻 I learned how much effort goes into Community work and helping members to contribute

I missed Hilgo (😶‍🌫️) already climbing onto my night bus to catch my flight to Ireland 🇮🇪 Next time

(Catch up post from my 3rd leg to Berlin 🇩🇪 )

@voltdeutschland@mstdn.social does a lot of other things right:
👉🏻 they use a Delegate Assembly with elected member representatives,
👉🏻 any member can propose motions provided sufficient endorsements and
👉🏻 topics are properly debated at the General Assembly ahead of voting.

💡 A more formalized, accessible and democratic system will also greatly benefit our European level.

Thank you for hosting @VoltBerlin@berlin.social 💜

Thanks for the interview, e.enimerosi!

👉🏻 https://e-enimerosi.com/politiki-oikonomia/sven-frank-i-evropi-chreiazetai-koini-politiki-voulisi-gia-na-epiviosei-geopolitika/ (Greek)
👉🏻 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRYNGgUZ-nQ (German)

We discussed Europe's challenges, the lack of integration and political leadership and how @VoltEuropa@mstdn.social can be a solution by being a counterweight to national politics.

Very happy to have been invited to the Future500 initiative which aims to gather the European startup ecosystem to push for what's needed to keep innovations, founders and potential in Europe and scaling EU companies from billions to trillions.

Damian Boeselager had one of the best speeches, I know why I'm in @VoltEuropa@mstdn.social and that our arguments for a more integrated Europe are the ones we need to push today.

Next stop on my transnational listening tour: Regensburg 🇩🇪 where I studied over 20 years ago joining Volt Regensburg to discuss European politics.

👉🏻 We quickly agreed we need European political leadership. The EU, because there has to be a counterweight to nationalist policies.

👉🏻 I left with a lot of notes (and my Volt Regensburg notebook 😍).

Thank you for having me and see you back soon 💜🇪🇺

Last stop on my transnational "listening tour": Tirana 🇦🇱

💡 With Volt Albania, I spent the day discussing Albania's accession to the EU, because while the city is full of EU flags 🇪🇺, after applying in 2009, the goal is to join the EU by 2030.

👉🏻 We really should have gradual accession as we propose

A day in Warsaw with @voltpolska.org 🇵🇱 . Very European with 🇬🇷🇷🇴🇳🇴🇩🇰🇸🇪🇫🇮 (and me for 🇸🇮) attending the Polish GA and the #weareeurope event, but I learned that the government avoids talking about Europe giving a platform to the #polexit debate that will only gain more traction. Volt is needed in Poland 🇪🇺

Half a day in Budapest to warm-up for my transnational campaign to become Volt Europa co-president.

Details in my campaign newsletter (coming soon), but let's root for Hungary to begin a new chapter - more democratic, more prosperous, more European 🇪🇺 and with Volt Hungary writing a few lines 💜

(Catch-up post from my transnational listening tour to Zurich 🇨🇭)

We discussed
👉🏻 "10 million" - a textbook populist campaign.
👉🏻 that Switzerland is "mittendrin in nid dübii",
👉🏻 @voltswitzerland.org supporting the campaign against the referendum and the opportunity for Volt Europa to take a stand.

Our tech, scientific and cultural perspectives made for a really interesting discussion about Europe, where we are today and where we need to go next. Can't miss the Ljubljana Meet&Greet of @voltslovenija@mastodon.social 😊

𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗨𝗦 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀

The US president held its State of the Union address at 3am. Perfect, because I prefer to sleep. What's not so perfect is the space Donald Trumps has in European Media this morning. We have our own drama.

👉🏻 New blog post on: https://svenfranck.eu/en/blog/European-media-are-hooked-to-US-politics-like-we-are-hooked-to-US-social-media.html

Europe is still stuck.
⛔ with national leaders only talking about Europe.
🗣️ Missing pressure for treaty reforms.
🗳️ Without a threat to loose seats.

👉🏻 I'm running for Volt Europa Co-President because we need European political leadership.

Follow my campaign: https://svenfranck.eu/en/projects/campaign.html

I know Suzana Carp since her #voterswithoutborders ECI and I'm superhappy she is still pushing for making #europeancitizenship a reality.

Today, the "#allonboard" ECI is launching. It seeks the means for :
- 🎓 European civic education
- 🚄 European mobility
- 📃 European skills qualifications

If we want Europe to matter for all European citizens, this ECI is an important accellerator.

👉🏻 If you want to help to put the topic on the legislative agenda, get in touch with: https://ecit-foundation.eu/clever-ecit-joint-conference/

Next stop on my list: Greece 🇬🇷 with a morning in Thessaloniki and Athens and welcomed by @voltgreece 💜

💡 I learned a lot about Thessaloniki rebuilding its past of having been a flourishing multi-ethnicity metropole.

👉🏻 the government in the meantime is knee-deep in a corruption scandal for misuse of EU agriculture funds

✅ Food and hospitality was out of the world, I'm very happy to come back - special thanks to Odysseas, Christos and Electra for welcoming me.

👉🏻 more on https://www.instagram.com/p/DW9sQaRjCGf/

Next stop on my campaign trail: Bucharest 🇷🇴 and with little time on my schedule, Volt România made the most of it joining for a book presentation of Sandu Cuturela on Geopolitics.

What I understood reminded my somewhat of Dave Keating "Owned Continent" and the need to also defend our culture and European way of life, so I'm happy, the same ideas exist in all corners of the European continent.

A big mulțumesc to Ana Măiță, Mihaela Sirițanu and the whole team of Volt Romania for having me 💜

Next stop on my transnational campaign: @voltoesterreich@mastodon.social
🇦🇹 hosting me in Vienna!

A great panel with Tamara Ehs & Robert Menasse. The takeaway:
👉🏻 National parties dodging their European responsibility is a recipe for disaster

We did talk until 2am on why Austria doesn't contribute to define "Neutrality" for the European Union 🇪🇺 rather than 60% of the population being reluctant to provide military aid to a neighboring member state.

Another long day with lots of ☀️ in Prague with @voltczechia@bird.makeup
🇨🇿

Adding 🇪🇺 challenges for my campaign to become Volt Europa Co-President:

✅ speak the local language
✅ try a local dish

Plus my website and newsletter coming up. Stay tuned!

A big 🫶 to Adam and Kateřina for hosting me.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗹𝗳?

This week, Germany chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the US siding with Donald Trump to call out Spain's Pedro Sanchez as the only European leader to take a stand. What's next? Will Germany become the 51st state?

👉🏻 Blog post on: https://svenfranck.eu/en/blog/Who-is-afraid-of-the-big-bad-wolf.html

Great to see so many new and familiar faces in Ghent on the @voltbelgium@bird.makeup Political Congress and how our Belgian chapter and the team of Ghent develops 💪🇪🇺

Well worth the bus ride across Europe with a pillow, toothbrush, laptop and eyerings 😎

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹
Tomorrow, national leaders retreat to a castle in Belgium to discuss European #competitiveness.

Real European leaders are not expected. It will thus be up to Mario #Draghi to foil the plan of Germany and Italy: Both seek for the EU to become more competitive by kowtowing to the demands of #trump #Musk & Co and wrestling competences away from the European Parliament and Commission... Really?

👉🏻 New blog post on: https://svenfranck.eu/en/blog/The-EU-Council-should-be-called-National-Council.html

From #fosdem to the #AI in #Defence Summit showing that open-source and hardware "Made in Europe" (from Rapid.Space in this case) could be a blessing for digital autonomy and a joint European military.

Best moment of the day by Alain Wilmouth, CEO of 2CRSI for daring to say the obvious: We need a European government.

Let's work on it! #jumpstartEU 🇪🇺

Almost time to curb the January beard, but great to meet up with our
@voltslovenija@mastodon.social team in #Ljubljana to discuss party registration and upcoming campaigns.

Feeling like nudging politics in Europe, here in Slovenia and on local level in a better direction?

👉 Join us https://volt.team/simple-join/sl-en

Happy to have attended the
@voltnederland@mastodon.nl GA 🇳🇱 discussing:

👉🏻 lessons from Macron getting a bloody nose trying to turn the EU into a large version of France
👉🏻 Volt Europa doing the political work our MEPs cannot do because they are stuck in the legislative machine
👉🏻 Volt Europa visible in national media driving audience to our smaller chapters.

I surely won't get all votes in the Netherlands, but I left for Amsterdam knowing that I will also have support here 😌

Great first day of the @volteuropa@bird.makeup Country Council - Volt's better version of the EU Council #EUCO 🇪🇺

Why better? No unanimity but democratic votes, political alignment and empowering our European leadership.

Thanks @VoltBerlin@berlin.social
and @voltdeutschland@mstdn.social for having us 💪

Last but not least today: the #CulturalDealEU 🇪🇺

Awesome to hear our MEP Nela Riehl and Commissioner Glenn Micallef give insights on the Parliament's and Commission's efforts for supporting Culture in the #MFF

"Culture is not an ornament but the fundament of Europe" stuck with me and since we have to defend our European culture, why not in the defence budget 💡

Perfect timing to also to talk to David Keating, whose book "The Owned Continent" is timely.

On the road again in #Cyprus 🇨🇾 for my campaign to become Co-President of Volt Europa 🇪🇺

Nicosia as the only divided capital in Europe really gave me a "Berlin vibe"
🕊️ The human rights charta in front of the border crossing should remind our political leadership that people wish to live in peace and freedom.

Volt Cyprus is running in the upcoming elections with this message.

Their voice is needed in the Cypriot Parliament - as is the voice of Cyprus in Europe.

Αλλάζουμε ρεύμα! Πάρε θέση!

After another sleepless overnight bus to #bulgaria 🇧🇬, Simeon from Volt Bulgaria welcomed me and we started the day with принцеса (Princesa) and calories for the next 48h 😌

👉🏻 Volt Bulgaria is polling at 3% close to the 4% threshold in the Siyanie coalition for road infrastructure and safety.

Fingers crossed to enter Parliament and have Volt deputies again. 💜💪🇪🇺

(and I almost aced my sentence in Bulgarian: https://www.instagram.com/p/DW3tlePDJTY/?img_index=6)

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗼-𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁?

France and Germany 🇫🇷🇩🇪, the two motors of the European project, find themselves at a crossroads: real European integration could be a remedy against the far right at home and the threats posed by Putin and Trump. But a stronger Europe would also mean for France and Germany to take a step back. Why should they?

👉🏻 Blog post on: https://svenfranck.eu/en/blog/Can-the-Franco-German-couple-still-lead-the-European-project.html

#jumpstartEU #whoDaresEurope

I'm on the road again for the 3rd leg of my transnational listening tour, called "Homecoming" since I'm touring through Bavaria and Germany 🇩🇪

👉🏻 It was a great discussion and everyone agreed we need European political leadership - in Europe, but also within our movement.

Thank you, @voltmuenchen@bird.makeup for the invite, the Bayreuther Volters for joining and looking forward to catching up again.

After my visit to Leiden, I also passed by The Hague for a dinner with members from the local team 🇳🇱

👉🏻 questioning me on my programme
👉🏻 talking benefits and risks of European political leadership

It is two worlds, a legislative and a political one. We must connect both.
💜 Thank you for hosting me Volt Den Hague

Next stop: Dublin 🇮🇪
Thanks to the time zone difference, I could meet Volt Ireland and do the co-president debate "at the same time"👍

👉🏻 Ireland is quite strict with regards to foreign political influence

👉🏻 We discussed if random selection of Parliamentarians was more democratic

💡 like in a Volt Delegate Assembly

Thank you for hosting me and Irish tied Polish for most difficult sentence to say for me...

(catch-up post from my homecoming leg through the region I grew up 🇩🇪)

Volt Bamberg organised a meeting with local elected officials, which I could join. I learned:
💡Local teams have a hard time connecting across borders
💡We need to balance workloads and prevent burn outs (Volt is a rabbit hole... ask me)

💜 A big thank you to @hgbruenker@mastodon.social for organising local TV 👉🏻 https://www.tvo.de/mediathek/video/vollbluteuropaeer-mit-bayreuther-wurzeln-sven-franck-macht-jetzt-in-slowenien-politik/