Electoral campaigns
What better time is there to ask politicians about their stance on Free Software and Open Standards than in the time before an election. During the time of electoral campaigns, both parties and individual politicians face intense scrutiny, both by their competitors and their electorate. They will often try to put issues on the agenda which, they believe, will allow them to showcase their strenghts on the political stage. Once an issue has gained enough traction, every candidate will eventually have to make a statement on the issue and position themselves clearly on one side or the other of the issue.
We believe that we can and should make Free Software and Open Standards an issue in all elections, be they on a European, national, regional, or local level. The use and promotion of Free Software and Open Standards have wide-reaching consequences – in data protection and IT security, but also in civic participation, efficient e-government and even environmental protection and economic growth. On these pages we give you an overview of the different activities we have carried out during the campaign periods of different elections in Europe. We also show you how you can get active yourself!
Ask Your Candidates
On this page we collect information about campaigns that revolve around sending a set of questions to political parties in order to make it easier for voters to compare their positions.
Digital-O-Mat
Digital-O-Mat is an online tool for voter information. It is based on Bezirk-O-Mat, a software that was developed for data journalists at the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, and allows voters to check how their positions match up with the parties' positions.
Freedomvote
Freedomvote is an online platform that allows individual candidates who are running for a political office to make their views on software freedom and digital civil rights transparent. It was developed by FSFE Country Switzerland in conjunction with CH Open.
Let's Promise
On this page we collect information about campaigns like the Free Software Pact, which revolve around having the candidates pledge to support certain issues before an election, as well as holding them accountable afterwards. This concept was made popular by our French ally April in 2007 and has since been adopted by many other organizations.