Volt Malta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Volt Malta
AbbreviationVolt
Co-presidentsArnas Lasys, Alexia DeBono
Vice presidentThomas Mallia
Founded2020 (2020)
Registered30 April 2021 (2021-04-30)
HeadquartersBalzan
Ideology
Political positionCentre to centre-left
European affiliationVolt Europa
Colours  Purple
Parliament of Malta
0 / 67
European Parliament
0 / 6
Local Council Seats
0 / 462
Website
voltmalta.org

Volt Malta is a political party in Malta and the Maltese branch of Volt Europa, a progressive and Eurofederalist political paneuropean party and movement.

Foundation[]

Volt Malta was founded in 2020,[1] although it was registered as a party on 30 April 2021.[2][3] This makes it the 16th national representative of Volt Europa registered as a party.[4]

Ideology[]

As part of the european network, Volt Malta follows a pan-European approach to many policy areas such as climate change, migration, economic inequality, international conflict and the impact of the technological revolution on the labor market.[5]

In addition, the party has set out to address a wide range of issues in Malta, such as corruption through the promotion of transparent governance and separation of powers, or environmental and climate protection, through an emphasis on a circular economy. On refugees and economic migrants, the party is committed to European asylum systems and a humanitarian approach.[6]

It also promotes sexual & reproductive rights by calling for the decriminalization of abortion and the classification of all contraceptives as essential medicine, making it the first pro-choice party in Malta.[7][8] The group also emphasizes this with #IneedMAP!, an initiative to improve access to the Morning After Pill (MAP), pharmacies were mapped that sell the MAP.[9][10] In October 2021, Co-President Alexia DeBono criticised even Netflix's show Sex Education for providing better sex education than the current curriculum and called for a fact-based curriculum and sex education free of doctrine that empowers young people to make informed choices and discover themselves in an open, stigma-free environment.[11]

Volt Malta also supports the European citizens' initiative "Voters Without Borders", which calls for voting rights at local and national level for EU citizens as well. If the initiative is successful, it could give them access to foreign voters who currently cannot vote in general elections and do not identify with the Nationalist Party or the Labour Party.[12][13]

As part of the party's efforts for more transparency in party finances, the group launched a campaign -#PolitikaOnesta,[14] which provides users with a breakdown of party advertising spending over periods ranging from one day to 90 days. The party demands that all finances of a political party should be governed exclusively by the party financing law and not by a mixture of party financing law and corporate law.[15]

Volt advocates for the legalisation of cannabis and called for a more progressive reform than before. The party proposes a limit of 25 grams for personal possession and use. Addiction should be treated as a medical problem, not a criminal one. To this end, instead of a cannabis authority as planned so far, an authority for recreational drugs should be established to enable studies and guidelines for different drugs and to better combat the black market. The party brought its proposals on this to the White Paper process to develop guidelines for dealing with drugs in Malta.[16]

Elections[]

The party has announced that it will contest the upcoming 2022 general election, when the parliament elected in 2017 reaches the end of its five-year term.[3] Kass Mallia is the first transgender woman to contest Malta's general elections and is standing for the party in Districts 9 and 11.[17] In the run-up to the election, the party called for Malta to allow citizens living abroad to vote through an embassy, consulate or by post.[18] The party's aim is to field a candidate in every district.[19]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Volt Malta: new kids on the electoral block". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  2. ^ "MT Team". Volt Malta. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  3. ^ a b "Volt registered as political party in Malta". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  4. ^ "Can newcomer Volt charge Maltese politics?". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  5. ^ "Policies". Volt Malta. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  6. ^ "Volt Malta seeking candidates as it becomes a registered political party". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  7. ^ "Volt registered as political party in Malta". Times of Malta. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  8. ^ "Volt Malta becomes Malta's first pro-choice political party - The Malta Independent". www.independent.com.mt. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  9. ^ "#IneedMAP!". #IneedMAP!. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  10. ^ Vassallo, Sam (2020-11-04). "I Need MAP! New Chart Details All Maltese Pharmacies That Stock The Morning After Pill". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  11. ^ Jong, Belle de (2021-10-28). "Netflix Show Offers Better Sex Education Than Maltese State, Volt Says In Call For Modern Sexual Health Syllabus". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
  12. ^ Vassallo, Sam (2020-11-14). "Volt: Meet Malta's New Progressive Party Hoping To Make Waves In The Next Election". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  13. ^ "Sign our European Citizens' Initiative - Homepage". Voters Without Borders. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  14. ^ "#PolitikaOnesta - Volt Malta". Volt Malta. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  15. ^ "Volt Malta initiative tracks Facebook ad spending by political parties, leaders". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  16. ^ Diacono, Tim (2021-12-01). "Malta's Cannabis Reform Should Be Even More Progressive, New Party Proposes". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  17. ^ Diacono, Tim (2021-10-07). "Freelance Writer Kass Mallia Will Be First Trans Woman To Contest A Maltese General Election". Lovin Malta. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
  18. ^ "Amidst pandemic restrictions, Malta should legalise voting in election from abroad, Volt Malta says". The Malta Independent. 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
  19. ^ "A Volt from the blue… | Arnas Lasys". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
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