Election Programme 2025

For a strong, open European civil society and close town twinning partnerships, Volt calls for:

• Erasmus for employees, for a sustained exchange of new ideas, know-how and successful projects between Münster and its partner cities.
• Promoting exchange between clubs and associations through closer cooperation with our partner cities, brokering contacts and providing rooms for workshops and training sessions.
• The creation of a joint mobility platform with Dutch cities, e.g. cross-border car-sharing services or a joint cycling corridor.
• Expanding the Welcome Desk into a comprehensive, multilingual point of contact, complemented by a volunteer buddy network.

For a strong, innovative and green economy in Münster, Volt calls for:

• Promoting Münster as a centre of innovation for green tech by pooling innovation funds, mentoring and modern workspaces in innovation centres, and by strengthening exchange with partner cities and regional networks.
• stronger support for a vibrant start-up culture by offering more flexible leases
• making Münster a Battery City through municipal investment in battery storage, support for innovative solutions and public participation in energy projects – as in Tangermünde.
• Administrative services that are available online at all times, securely and accessibly – as in Tallinn.
• a central, secure data platform with standardised interfaces so that municipal data can be used across departments – as in Amsterdam.
• More open source, more European software, strong data protection – as in Barcelona.

For more affordable housing that is good to live in, Volt calls for:

• a four-figure number of new homes, with a focus on municipal social housing – as in Vienna.
• preferential allocation of municipal land to cooperatives that serve the common good, e.g. through models such as hereditary leasehold – for falling rents, as in Zurich.
• modern forms of housing such as multi-generational houses, “housing for help” or “tiny houses”.
• a new, socially and ecologically sustainable district.
• a digital duty for landlords to disclose rents and vacancies, and a vacancy levy – as in Landau.
• liveable, accessible neighbourhoods with little or no through traffic (with exceptions for loading and unloading, tradespeople, carers, etc.), more green space and more room to move – like the “superblocks” in Barcelona.
• affordable housing for apprentices through municipally supported housing models, comparable to the Studierendenwerk (student services organisation) – as in Hamburg.

For the best opportunities for young and old alike, Volt calls for:

• Education Masterplan 2035 – education planning from nursery to “studying in later life”.
• Recruitment of qualified early-years staff so that nursery places can be reliably booked.
• “Owl and lark classes” for a more flexible start to the school day and greater learning success.
• A municipal skilled-workforce strategy to raise the status of skilled trades and vocational training, including housing.
• Münster's universities as a driver of innovation for a strong centre of science and research and for a European education campus that connects across borders.

To protect marginalised groups, Volt calls for:

• Ombuds offices with people who can accompany individuals, for example when dealing with public authorities.
• a municipal advisory commission and a municipal right-to-remain programme – as in Cologne.
• more language courses for everyone – regardless of residence status.
• an integration drive: strengthening older migrants and migrant self-organisations.
• greater support for nursery & school attendance by immigrant children.
• more prevention programmes for addiction, sexualised violence and mental health.

To make cultural provision more inclusive and accessible, Volt calls for:

• an accessible, intercultural “House of Cultures” as a meeting place and a space for activities.
• a “pay what you want” model – everyone pays as much as they want in museums.
• Fitness trails and public fitness facilities: for more opportunities across the city.
• more support for and recognition of volunteering as the foundation of society.

To enable safe, accessible and fast travel around the city, Volt calls for:

• safe footpaths through more zebra crossings, benches and greenery and a clear separation of pedestrian, cycle and car traffic.
• pavements free of cars, thanks to modern mobility hubs, combined park-and-bus tickets and underground neighbourhood car parks with EV charging points, car-sharing and bike stations.
• “green waves” for cycle routes.
• a continuous network of cycle streets free from car traffic.
• a bus system with two additional, accessible hubs (Neutor, Antoniuskirche and the main station) and frequent services. In the short term, metrobus lines are needed. In the long term, a light rail system must be introduced – as in Freiburg or Karlsruhe.
• the 15-minute city: all key facilities – housing, shopping, education, healthcare and recreation – should be within a quarter of an hour's walk – as in Oxford.

For Münster to play its part in achieving climate neutrality, Volt calls for:

• consistent municipal heat planning that switches neighbourhoods to climate-friendly heat sources such as geothermal energy, district heating and heat pumps.
• a comprehensive solar power drive on the roofs of public buildings, commercial premises and residential buildings.
• the targeted energy-efficiency renovation of municipal buildings – with a focus on Passivhaus standards.
• additional areas for wind power – even beyond the 2% target.

For Münster to preserve our quality of life, Volt calls for:

• sponge city measures such as rain gardens, swales and planted wetlands – as pioneered by Copenhagen and the Ruhr area.
• the systematic greening of roofs and façades for cooling and insulation and to promote biodiversity.
• the preservation of fresh-air corridors that channel cool air into the city centre.
• public drinking water fountains to protect health – following the example of Cádiz.

To strengthen urban development that is both socially just and ecologically sustainable, Volt calls for:

• the free provision of space by the city for clothing swaps and exchange events, to reduce textile waste and make sustainable consumption visible.
• a packaging tax on single-use packaging in the food service sector to encourage sustainable reusable alternatives – as in Tübingen.
• edible food to be collected, processed where possible and distributed, for example, to schools or food banks – as in France.
• sustainable municipal procurement. Durability, reparability, low levels of harmful substances and recyclability are given priority – as in the Rhineland.

To strengthen agriculture, Volt calls for:

• new municipal requirements and contracts to apply for at least 5 years, to give farmers planning certainty.
• lease agreements to be tied in future to criteria such as soil protection, humus formation and biodiversity – as in Freiburg or Hanover.
• an app that connects farmers, bulk buyers and consumers, thereby helping to secure reliable sales and creating planning certainty – as in the Fichtel Mountains.

To strengthen citizen participation, Volt calls for:

• a competition in which residents can submit proposals for removing sealed surfaces. The best projects will be implemented.
• the expansion of digital participation opportunities and citizens' initiatives.
• the right to table motions and to vote for the Youth Council (Jugendrat) and the Senior Citizens' Representation (Seniorenvertretung), and the establishment of a Women's Council with the same rights.
• more budget and greater visibility for the district councils.
• the expansion of real-world laboratories to connect civil society, business and academia (Open Innovation City) – as with the Innovation GYM and the OIC Campus in Bielefeld.