Volt and DiEM25: what are the drivers of different types of new Europeanism?

The emergence of Volt and DiEM25, two pan-European movement parties, was the direct result of the EU polycrisis and the rise of Euroscepticism of the mid-2010s. This focused comparison contextualises these two parties within the history of European integration. Based on their official statements and interviews with their members, it compares their backgrounds and the reasons for their divergence. Volt represents thick Europeanism in a new form, labeled here as ‘rooted Europeanism’. It arises from the social, educational, and professional background of Volt founders and members, who are representatives of the Erasmus generation, mostly without prior activist or party commitments. DiEM25 represents thin and radical left Europeanism, as it was built on a network of radical left intellectuals and activists, with its members socialized through protesting for various radical left causes. In their foreign policy, DiEM25 members often took the perspective of the Global South, which was particularly visible in their strong engagement for the Palestinian cause and in taking a non-aligned position in the case of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Volt has followed the positions of the liberal West, strongly condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and doubling down on their calls for a common European army.