Prospects and Concerns of e-Democracy at the European Parliament

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of the Internet on representative democracy through a case study of the European Parliament (EP) by answering a number of inter-related questions. First, would Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) endorse the use of the Internet for parliamentary communication? Second, is the Internet a trustworthy medium for achieving parliamentary efficiency, transparency and accountability in the twenty-first century European Union (EU)? Third, has the EP responded effectively to the opportunities and challenges brought by the Internet? Informed by first-hand empirical research, this article concludes that, while the EP and MEPs were both enthusiastic about the democratic potential of the Internet, they were ill-prepared for the many issues raised by the use of the Internet such as the double implications of online transparency and security; funding of MEPs' personal website; the absence of institutional rules and the inactive use of hyperlinks by MEPs.