I'm standing to be an MEP because my outsider party fears Brexit has unleashed a tide of nationalism

European Elections 2019: meet the candidates in this month’s fractious EU Parliament vote

My life changed on 23 June 2016, the day of the Brexit vote: as for many other Europeans, who had the chance to study and live in the UK, I felt that part of my heart belonged to this island, and that my future would be deeply intertwined with it. That day, history put my life on a different track.

I embarked on the most incredible journey of my life. I decided to create Volt, a truly European party, I had no political experience, funds, or famous names to back me. The same logo, values, and policies across Europe, to fight common battles and to harvest shared solutions.

Officially, Volt was launched the day Article 50 was triggered. With me, a young French woman and a young German saw the seed of a wider trend in Britain leaving the EU: the return of populism, nationalism, and extremism. That prediction turned out to be accurate.

Since we were founded in 2017 we have seen the rise of the same political tensions that 80 years ago brought this continent to the brink of collapse. Today, they are still well contained by the safety net our grandparents put in place: the European Union.

Two years ago we were a small group of motivated people with no funds. Today, Volt is a progressive European party with more than 25,000 subscribers in 30 European countries, including the UK. Since the beginning of our adventure, the UK held a special place in our project. Early on, we made huge efforts to create a presence on the ground.

I still remember when we were setting up our first presence in Britain, people asked “Why?” “They will be leaving soon.” “They do not want to be part of the EU anyway.” Wrong. There are many that truly value unity within the UK, they are the ones who risk to be left alone – these are the people we want to give a chance to stay within the European project.

In the last months Volt UK made its first baby steps. We started developing small chapters across the country, from London to Birmingham, from Edinburgh to the Isle of Man. In February Volt UK held its first general assembly, in March they decided to participate in local elections in Greater Manchester, and in April they seized the opportunity of sending the most pro-European message possible: to run in the UK for the European elections as the first truly European party.

Volt is participating in the European parliament elections in eight countries, under the same progressive platform. The UK will be one of them. Our message to pro-Europeans in this great country is clear and simple: we are one people, and we stand by each other.

I am president and founder of Volt Europa, and will stand as a candidate in the London constituency, representing all those British people and European residents who believe that the UK is an integral part of the EU.

We demand a people’s vote on the Brexit deal with the option to remain as a route to break the deadlock. So how are we different from those other parties calling for a people’s vote? The main difference is that we are not pro-Europe, we are Europe. No matter what happens, whoever supports Volt UK will still be part of a network of European citizens, will still be able to help create and vote for the policies Volt will bring forward in the European parliament and in parliaments across the continent.

Across Europe, we are fighting to make the EU more democratic and fair, to increase economic opportunities for all, and to create a more sustainable and just society. Within the UK, Volt will keep on fighting to keep the UK as close as possible to the EU, and to promote our progressive policies in all local, regional, and national assemblies.

We believe that many who voted Leave in the EU referendum were signalling just how abandoned and excluded from the wealth of society they feel, and how distant the UK and EU administrations seem to their daily lives. I think they can find an answer in the policies of Volt.

We want to make people believe in politics again, we want to bring decision-making to a very local, participative level and we want to include everybody. We will also fight to maintain the benefits of the European Union, which has acted as a catalyst for growth, prosperity and security in our common European home for over 70 years now. It is high time to show that Britain has a clear vision for the future, and that it can feel truly European.

Andrea Venzon is the founder of Volt and independent candidate for the European elections in London