Vouliwatch, a new digital platform that began in October, makes it easier for Greek citizens to communicate with their representatives in Parliament as well as find out more info about their background. The website www.vouliwatch.gr was launched in March and has reached over 1,100 registered users and has had more than 500 questions submitted to MPs.

Each month, the website brings up a different issue with each party’s position and focuses on pressing national matters. There are also live events organized so that citizens can interview deputies.

Vouliwatch has the following features:

* Public questioning (“Ask your MP/MEP”): In a moderated platform, citizens can publicly ask questions and receive public replies by MP’s and MEP’s. To prevent misuse of the platform, all citizen questions and politicians’ answers are crosschecked according to a published code of conduct that is aligned with the principles of open government ethics.
* Votewatch: This application allows users to keep an eye on the voting behaviour of each MP while informing the public on the details and background information of each legislation put forward for voting.
* “Crowdsourcing legislation” and parliamentary control (“Share ideas, experiences and make proposals”): Citizens can publicize their experiences, ideas or proposals either at the national or at the local level. The community of users can comment and rate them. A Google map application depicts all submitted data with the option of filtering based on different criteria (location, subject categories such as e.g. education, tourism, etc.). Every month all submitted data is summarized in a report and sent to all MPs and MEPs by our team, as food for thought and action. In case relevant parliamentary action is taken by MP’s/MEP’s due to a citizen request or a public claim, Vouliwatch publishes and promotes reactions.
* “Issue of the month” (“Discuss top political issues”): Every month, our editing team will be choosing a hot political issue. The issue will be debated online and offline, leading to lively political debates or the organization of issue-oriented political labs.

Similar “Parliamentwatch” initiatives are taking place in countries like Ireland, Luxembourg, Tunisia, Germany, France and Austria. The team of six that started the group are pleased with the international attention they have received and hope to soon receive funding from the EU. Vouliwatch is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Indigogo to raise money for its development. It managed to raise 2,000 euros in just five days and hopes to reach 20,000 euros.