Volt Italia is a progressive and eurofederalist party in
Italy. It is an affiliate of
Volt Europa and was founded in 2018. Volt was unable to take part in the
2019 European elections, failing to obtain the required 150,000 notarised supporter signatures.[1] Since then, the party has contested municipal and regional elections, winning a number of mandates and providing a deputy mayor since October 2021.
History
Volt Italy was officially registered as a party in July 2018 as the 5th national offshoot of Volt Europe.[2] The aim was to participate in the 2019 European elections, for which the party collected signatures throughout Italy, but also in other European countries.[3] However, Volt failed to clear the hurdle of collecting 150,000 notarised supporter signatures.[4]
In January 2020, Volt contested its first election in Italy with the
regional election in Emilia-Romagna, and failed to enter the regional council with 0.43%.[5]
The party engaged in opposition to the
2020 constitutional referendum to reduce the size of Italy's parliament and senate, which was later approved.[6] To be able to achieve the associated threshold, Volt stated that it was open to cooperation with other social and liberal forces.[7]
In March 2021, Volt Italy refused to become part of a new left alliance as part of the call "Now we can go, for a new reformist and liberal-democratic alliance", referring to its special character as a European party. A merger with other parties at the national level would not be compatible with a cross-border understanding of the party as a party that advocates the same contents everywhere, but Volt would continue to be open to cooperation. In addition, Volt criticised that parties should see themselves less as an antipole, but rather see their task as developing and offering solutions to problems.[8]
Also in March 2021, the party launched the campaign "I live, I work, I vote", campaigning for the right of non-
EU citizens to vote in local elections, as the current system would exclude a large part of the population from political participation.[9]
Since April 6 2022, Volt Italy has been a member of the
European Movement in Italy.[11]
At the General Assembly in
Bari on October 14-15, 2023, two presidents, Daniela Patti and Guido Silvestri, were elected, while Pasquale Lisena was confirmed as treasurer.
Elections
2020 regional and local elections
In the
regional elections in
Emilia-Romagna, Volt contested an election in Italy for the first time. The content of the campaign focused on health, social justice and economic development.[12] Among the demands during the campaign were the introduction of environmental and social requirements in public tenders and the introduction of consultation tables between schools, universities and companies.[13] The party achieved 0.43% and thus fell short of entering the regional council.[5]
On the occasion of the regional elections of February 12-13, 2023, Volt in
Lazio presents a list together with the
Italian Radicals and
More Europe in support of Alessio D’Amato, the outgoing councilor of the center-left administration, but with 0.96% it fails to elect any councilor. In
Lombardy, on the other hand, Volt supports the civic list of the center-left candidate
Pierfrancesco Majorino, but fails to elect any of its own candidates. In the
May local elections, Volt appears on some civic lists such as in
Brescia while it presents its own list in
Treviso (0.76%).
2024 local elections
On the occasion of the 2024 local elections, Volt in
Perugia presents a list together with the
Green and Left Alliance in support of the center-left candidate Vittoria Ferdinandi.