Ex-president of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, affiliates with a Federalist European group.
Hey there! Here's scoop on the latest move by former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. He's hopped aboard the Volt Europa bandwagon - a federalist European political group promoting a progressive, center-left ideology. How cool is that?!
The movement's super stoked to have Ilves on board, 'cause they share the same goal: building a Europe that can power through these uncertain times. According to Volt Europa, "Ilves is on the same page as us, aiming for a resilient and prosperous Europe that can drive sustainable change in these tough times."
Ilves, a political loner for nearly 20 years, finally decided to rejoin the game. He explained his decision by reminding us that the European Union's problems have taken a nasty new twist in recent years: first with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and now with a buddy-punching US administration slamming the brakes on the 80-year-old transatlantic relationship.
"Europe needs to buckle down and address this head-on," says Ilves. "We've been neglecting our defense and focusing too little on security for the past 35 years. We need to establish a Europe-wide capital market, invest in technology and AI, modernize our economies, and streamline energy policies, or we'll risk becoming an impoverished backwater reminiscent of the Middle Ages."
Ilves also warned that Europe has to watch its back, not just from adversaries outside the continent, but also from its own populist extremists. According to him, the fundamental values of the Enlightenment are under attack, and Europe needs to act fast to protect its future.
Ilves' reference to the Enlightenment points to a period of intellectual growth in Europe, where rational thought and empiricism ruled supreme. It's a philosophy that's behind ideas like natural law, liberty, progress, and more progressive social norms.
"I joined Volt Europa 'cause they’re the only party I see fighting for what matters: the survival of Europe and its values. I believe in Volt and its vision for Europe," said Ilves.
Volt Europa, founded in March 2017, is a pan-European, pro-European Union, and federalist political movement operating across multiple countries. They currently don't have an Estonian subsidiary, but have a presence in Finland. They align their political positions across Europe, with a recent focus on addressing issues like climate change, defense policy, energy policy, migration, economic inequality, and the technological evolution of the labor market.
The party advocates for a stronger, more integrated EU and the creation of a federal Europe. Volt also endorses the formation of a European army, joint European debt and taxes, nuclear energy, and stronger economic solidarity between EU member states. They're seen as centrist or center-left, with a focus on evidence-based policy, best-practice sharing, and campaigning for these values in local, national, and European elections.
Toomas Hendrik Ilves served as the fourth president of Estonia from 2006 to 2016. Before that, he was the foreign minister and a member of the European Parliament. So stay tuned to see how Ilves' expertise shapes Volt Europa's future plans! 🤯💪🔥🇪🇺
P.S. Don't forget to share, tweet, link or email this exciting news to your friends! Let's get the word out about this game-changing alliance! #VoltEurope #ToomasIlves #EuropeTogether #ProgressiveFuture
- The latest development in European politics involves former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves joining the progressive European movement, Volt Europa.
- Ilves' decision to join Volt Europa signifies a shared goal of building a resilient and prosperous Europe that can drive sustainable change in challenging times.
- With the ongoing issues facing Europe, including stagnant defense and security, Ilves believes that Europe needs to address these matters head-on.
- Ilves has warned of external adversaries and internal populist extremists that threaten the fundamental values of the Enlightenment in Europe.
- Volt Europa, a pan-European political movement, aligns its political positions across Europe on key issues like climate change, defense policy, energy policy, migration, economic inequality, and technological evolution.
- The formation of a European army, joint European debt and taxes, nuclear energy, and stronger economic solidarity between EU member states are among Volt Europa's main advocacies.
- Ilves has explained his decision to rejoin politics, expressing a belief in Volt Europa's fight for the survival of Europe and its values.
- Toomas Hendrik Ilves, with a background in politics and governance, is expected to greatly influence Volt Europa's future plans as the party works towards shaping policy-and-legislation, politics, general-news, and life in Europe.
