GREGOR HACKMACK

PARLIAMENTWATCH

ParliamentWatch is an independent platform which gives German citizens the possibility to ask public questions and receive public answers from their members of parliament over the Internet. 95 percent of all delegates participate in this online dialogue. The platform has been successfully exported to Tunisia, Luxembourg, Austria and Ireland.It casts light on the often “hidden” business of parliamentary politics by allowing citizens to track politicians’ actions over time.

ParliamentWatch records the politicians’ speeches and contributions to parliamentary debates, as well as their voting record in parliament. It sparks a new form of interaction between elected officials and their constituents, because it allows citizens to post public questions for their politicians, to which politicians may respond, thus starting a direct dialogue with the electorate. Politicians realize simultaneously that the platform offers them an opportunity to strengthen their ties to their constituents and rally support for their ideas; it also prevents them from losing touch with their base.