Volt Cologne: A breath of fresh air for the local elections in September 2025!

Volt Cologne: A breath of fresh air for the local elections in September 2025!

The local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia are taking place on September 14, 2025 - an important day for Cologne, as numerous courses need to be set for future urban development. Within this framework, the Volt party has set ambitious goals. Volt plans to win more than twice as many seats in the city council and is aiming for 10% of the vote. The young party, which received 7.1% of the vote in the last European elections in Cologne, currently only holds four of a total of 90 seats on the city council. Lars Wolfram will lead Volt's fortunes as mayoral candidate and will place a clear focus on climate protection, diversity and fair transport policy. KSTA reports that these topics particularly take into account the realities of young voters' lives.

Volt has acquired a taste for new challenges and is running its own candidates in almost all of the city's districts for the first time. This is a historic moment for Cologne's Volt history, as all city districts are represented. The lists not only reflect the diversity of the city's society, but also set an example for greater proximity to citizens and innovative ideas in local politics. Volt emphasizes here that the lists stand for citizen-oriented politics and are intended to improve the quality of life in the Veedeln. Details about the candidates can be found here.

Candidates for district councils

In downtown Cologne, Volt has lined up a diverse range of candidates, including:

• Nadine Gareis
• Fabio Milhoes
• Klaudia Grote
• Dominik Schneider
• Andrea Browers
• Manuel Martin
• Sven-Kurt Schwaller

Prominent names such as Lars Wolfram and Lucia Hinsen are also represented in the Rodenkirchen district. In Lindenthal, Ehrenfeld and the other districts, other candidates are committed to bringing a breath of fresh air into politics.

Focus on policies and programs

Volt's election program sets new standards - the party plans, among other things, to found a municipal housing cooperative that will build at least 400 affordable apartments every year. Other key points include greater support in the health sector, especially for addicts, as well as a massive expansion of psychosocial counseling services. These projects are to be financed through savings in the digital city administration and the cultural scene, for example by merging museums. In this way, Volt also intends to make administration more efficient and to make arrangements at an early stage with suggestions.

While Volt goes into the local elections with a breath of fresh air, the mayoral election in Cologne is hotly contested. Henriette Reker, the incumbent and non-party mayor, is no longer running after two terms in office. Exciting new candidates are ready, including from the ranks of the CDU, the Greens and other parties. These include Berîvan Aymaz from the Greens and Markus Greitemann from the CDU. The competition for the post of mayor will therefore be an exciting time not only for voters, but also for political actors. You can find more information about the candidates here.

Cologne is ready for change, and the coming elections could set the course for the future. It remains to be seen whether Volt can achieve its ambitious goals and what new ideas the candidates will bring to the political landscape of the cathedral city.