This is how Reinier van Lanschot moves from grand ambitions to concrete intermediate steps
Reinier van Lanschot (born 1989) is an MEP for Volt Europa. In parliament, he is a member of the defence, foreign affairs, internal market and constitutional reform committees. He is committed to innovation, climate neutrality and better European cooperation. In his (Dutch) book ‘We are Europe’ Reinier exposes the weaknesses of European cooperation and shows what needs to change to secure our future.
Six months ago, Volt achieved one of its most significant electoral victories to date. We grew from one to five seats in the European Parliament. Of course, that was just the beginning. Now, what does Volt aim to achieve in the next five years? And when can we consider our mission a success? During Volt Europa's GA in Tirana, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Reinier van Lanschot shared how Volt is working toward success.
Growing in Brussels
When you first start in Brussels, six months fly by. It’s a time of meeting people, building teams, and preparing for political work. Reinier explains: “As new MEPs, we had to find our way and, at the same time, conduct hundreds of job interviews to hire 17 staff members.”
“Fortunately, Damian Boeselager—who is serving his second term in the European Parliament—and his team were there to help. Altogether, Volt's team now consists of 25 people from over 10 European countries.”
The team now feels at home, but the real work begins in January. “The new European Commission was approved at the end of November. Before that, there’s a sort of government formation period, much like we have in the Netherlands. From January onwards, the new plans come into play, and we’ll dive into legislative work.”
Innovation and Climate
With the preparatory phase complete, the Volt delegation is looking ahead to the major challenges facing Europe. In order to build a stronger and more efficient Europe, Volt has a clear vision for the future.
“Two priorities for me are that we get an innovative economy, but also a climate-neutral economy. For example, I asked the new European Commissioner for Digital Affairs how the AI Act and the development of the CLOUD Act take CO2 emissions into account when making investment decisions. And I’ll be closely monitoring these legislations.”
The Internal Market and Draghi
For Volt, looking beyond national borders comes naturally. That’s why in November, over 600 members travelled to Tirana to discuss our strategy for the coming year, learn from each other, and support Albania’s accession to the EU. People of all nationalities blending seamlessly together.
But things are very different for businesses in the European Union. “The internal market is essentially made up of separate sub-markets, each with its own bureaucracy. For companies, this makes it unnecessarily complicated to expand to other European countries. That’s why Volt advocates for a European unified legal structure for startups: Europe Inc. The demand for such a corporate structure is growing among small and medium-sized enterprises, and Draghi has also emphasised it in his strong reports. This needs to be implemented within five years. It’s essential for scaling up top companies.”
From Electoral Program to Concrete Steps
Some of Volt’s plans are too ambitious to achieve in five years. That’s why Reinier is looking at other ways to measure the success of the group. The first goal is to realise as much of Volt’s electoral program as possible.
“Our electoral program is our promise to voters, and promises must be kept. Before the next European elections, I’ll analyse what we achieved and what we didn’t – and why that’s the case. Some promises will take longer than five years to fulfil, and we’re honest and realistic about that. For those points, I’ll show which intermediate steps we’ve taken.”
Inspiring Political Engagement and Growth
The second goal is to inspire as many Europeans as possible to become politically active. “Volt now has more than 30,000 members; seven years ago, there were only three. We aim to double that number. Our democracy needs active citizens who want to participate. And I see Volt as a strong, approachable facilitator.”
The third goal is to grow the number of seats. “We aim to have 25 MEPs from seven different countries, which would allow us to form our own parliamentary group. That would be a unique achievement. It’s a big challenge, but I believe it’s possible.”
Competent and Kind
With polarisation and a divided society in mind, Reinier has one last, fourth goal. “I want Volt to be known for its competence and kindness. We want to show that politics can be different: constructive, humane, and future-oriented.”
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Together, we’re working toward a positive and future-oriented Europe. Whether you live in Brussels, Berlin, or Tirana – at Volt, we’re building a shared future for all Europeans.