Newly registered Volt Slovensko announces its candidates for the European election
On February 12, 2024, Volt Slovensko became a new political party on the domestic scene with full registration by the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. Registration of the party is one of several fulfilled goals that the members and the newly elected leadership of the party set for themselves at the founding General Assembly last Saturday (February 3) in Bratislava. Another important milestone is the election of the party's ten candidates to the European Parliament, who now face t
[This press release is also available below in English, Hungarian and Romani languages.]
[A sajtóközlemény angol, magyar és roma nyelven is elérhető.]
[Kadi tlačovo správa hini tumenge dostupno teleder the andre anglicko, maďarčiko the romani čhib.]
BRATISLAVA, February 14, 2024 – The Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic today confirmed the official registration of the political party Volt Slovensko as the Slovak branch of the pan-European platform Volt Europa. Just a few days before that, on Saturday, February 3, 2024, the founding General Assembly of the party was also held in Bratislava.
The newly elected co-presidents, Lucia Kleštincová and Rick Zedník, together with eight other representatives, were elected to run for Volt Slovensko in the upcoming elections to the European Parliament.
The candidates of Volt Slovensko for the elections to the European Parliament are:
Lucia Kleštincová
Maroš Halama
Andrea Danihelová
Mikuláš Lakatoš
Lucia Aurea
Denisa Priadková
Tomáš Matta
Emília Jurášová
Natália Kovácsová
Rick Zedník
By collecting significantly more than 10,000 valid signatures, Volt Slovensko confirmed that Slovaks want to bring Europe to Slovakia after twenty years of EU membership. I am proud that the Volt movement is also coming to Slovakia and offering our candidate list for the European elections," said Kleštincová. "Our candidates present a unique reflection of the diversity of our country in terms of the generations, regions, genders, communities and professions they represent.
Volt Slovensko offers the candidacy of ten dynamic and accomplished leaders to represent all Slovaks who also consider themselves Europeans," said Zedník. "With Lucia Kleštincová at the head of the list, I am convinced that Volt will win the trust of a sufficient number of citizens so that Volt Slovensko is represented in the European Parliament and Volt achieves its first mandate from Central Europe.
The Volt Slovakia candidates for the European Parliament elections
As Co-President and Lead Candidate, she is proud of the Volt movement's arrival in Slovakia. After her career as a European official and maternity service, she decided to further bring a new culture of leadership into politics and public life. She was prompted to do so not only by the experience of supporting industrial innovations, but also with the Brexit negotiations within the European institutions. As a trainer, consultant and career coach, she mainly focuses on promoting gender equality and mental health. A native of Petržalka, she graduated from the University of Economics in Bratislava, London School of Economics, Solvay Business School and Kingstown College.
Associate professor at the university and research infrastructure broker, clean technology advisor and SR representative in the The Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA), Clean Hydrogen Partnership and the European Defence Agency. Originally from Košice, he studied at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and has worked and lectured as an expert e.g. in Tokyo, Singapore, Miami, Dubai, Stockholm, Brussels, etc. He wants to contribute to the strengthening of cooperation within Europe and bringthe latest technological advances in all sectors to Slovaks.
A native of Košice and a graduate of English and American Studies at UMB in Banská Bystrica. Most of her professional life has been devoted to communication in the fields of PR and marketing. She is a graduate of the Fulbright Program at Michigan State University in the USA and has extensive international experience. Since 2022, she has been a mentor in the DofE programme and is a member of several expert juries in Slovakia andabroad. As a candidate, she wants to represent the citizens of Slovakia - Europeans,to defend their interests, to be part of important political debates that cancontribute to a more democratic and better Europe, including Slovakia. She hasbeen working in the non-profit sector for a number of years to create solutions fordisadvantaged and socially vulnerable groups of the population.
Regional leader of Volt Slovakia. He is a health policy analyst, an advocate for minority and human rights, and an assistant professor at a university. He is currently applying his knowledge and experience at the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities, which he acquired during his studies at the Slovak Medical University, Central European University, Princeton University and Comenius University, as well as through professionalpractice in minority policy programmes and human rights institutions at home andabroad. He was awarded the prestigious Young European of the Year 2023 awardfor his efforts in the area of strategic development and implementation of nationalinclusive policies to promote the health of marginalized Roma communities in 2023.
A native of Bratislava, and a single mother of two sons. She works as an official translator for the English language. She has a degree in Human Nutrition from the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. She is the founder and director of a linguistic and business company ILUMINATA. She has held several positions in the past. From 2017-2022, she was a volunteer in the field of education and intercultural exchange for students from Central Asian countries of the former USSR and from the Middle East (Palestine) through a partner organization from Azerbaijan. In 2019, she participated in the international conference The Magic ofInnovation: Integrative Trends in Linguistics and Foreign Language Teaching at theMoscow Institute of International Relations.
Denisa comes from and is based in Bratislava. She has a degree in journalism and is a representative and founder of several Slovak and international NGOs in the field of
reproductive health. She has professional experience in editorial work in print media, online and PR, foreign investments agency, education in primary and secondary schools and in civic activities. She is an active international lecturer on reproductive health, women's rights, internet literacy and digitalisationin healthcare. She has decided to run for Volt because she feels the need forEuropean cooperation and coordination in all of the above areas. In her candidacy,she is determined to highlight the benefits of the Slovak Republic's membership inthe European Union to the general public.
Originally from Košice, where he also currently resides. He has a degree in International Relations at the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University. He is currently working as a teacher at Lunik IX in Košice. His teaching work focuses mainly on motivating pupils to continue their studies. In addition, he is a committed activist and athlete in the field of kickboxing. He comes from a poor Roma settlement near Košice, but thanks to the support of his grandmother and a change of environment, he managed to obtain a high-quality education. With his friends, he founded a non-profit organisation whose aim is to help and improve the lives of Roma in Slovakia. He was a member of the Slovak Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities' Youth Advisory Body and is proud to have received the international Duke of Edinburgh Award. He wants to bring values, leadership and service to people into politics.
Emília comes from Banská Bystrica, where she has been based for more than 20 years. She studied at the Technical University and worked at the Institute of Chemistry of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in international consortia focused on science and research in the field of microbiology, biotechnology, development and testing of new polymer composite materials. She has interned at the Ministry of Environment, working on data analysis and development ofenvironmental indicators within the EEA and SAŽP focal point. She completed aspecialised study of European integration in environmental law and economics.Before, during and after her PhD studies in physical chemistry and hydrology at theDepartment of Natural Environment of the Technical University, she worked as auniversity teacher, also externally at UMB, mainly in applied natural sciences.Currently she has extended her education in the field of industrial and intellectualproperty law. She works in the volunteer community of Sant Egídio.
Natália comes from Kolárovo and works in the field of education and human capital development. She is a graduate of the University of Economics in Bratislava, as well as a graduate of cross-border cooperation studies at the European University Viadrina and Adam Mickiewicz University on the German-Polish border. She has worked in various foreign companies, including the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin. Her motivation for her work at Volt Slovakia is building a strong Europe, focusing on strengthening the European Higher Education Area, supporting schools and developing lifelong learning. She wants to contribute to the creation of a European education system that prepares citizens for the challenges of the 21st century.
The son of a Slovak who became a refugee as a result of the Soviet invasion in 1968 was born in Germany. He currently divides his time between Bratislava and Brussels. He is a committed European. In his career in journalism and politics, he has always focused on communication and bringing people together. He co-founded the English-language weekly The Slovak Spectator and later worked for The Wall Street Journal in Brussels. He served as CEO of Euractiv.com, an independent network of EU political correspondents, later became Executive Director of the global Women Political Leaders (WPL) network, and has been Co-Chair of Volt Slovakia since 2023.
About Volt Slovakia
We are already active in more than 30 countries, encouraging citizens to rethink and shape policy in their cities, in their countries and across Europe's borders. To this day, more than 130 Volt political representatives have been elected at municipal, regional, national and European level. We are setting an example of how it is possible to build a united Europe.
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Media contact:
Andrea Danihelová
PR a Komunikácia, Volt Slovensko
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