Fight for a more just and inclusive Europe, with data

The European Parliament plays a crucial role in shaping policies and laws that affect over 447 million citizens across the European Union. Yet, despite its significance, many EU citizens remain unaware of how their representatives vote on critical issues.

Enhancing Accountability

Transparency in voting records ensures that Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are held accountable for their decisions, but only if that is explained and contextualised. Very few media cover these votes in a way that connect with people outside of the brussels bubble. We believe NGOs and Trade Unions are the ones that can show what votes are relevants, and hold politicians accountable.
We have the data, we want to better work with CSOs to show what is happening in the parliament and help everyone evaluate whether their representatives act in accordance with their stated platforms and commitments

Increasing access to and awareness of EP votes allows citizens to question discrepancies. If an MEP campaigns on climate action at home but votes against environmental legislation in the EP, CSOs can help and organise their members to challenge such behaviour. This mechanism of public scrutiny incentivises MEPs to act in good faith, aligning their actions in Brussels or Strasbourg with their public rhetoric in national contexts. A more informed electorate ensures that representatives feel the pressure to genuinely represent their voters’ interests, fostering trust in the political process.

Exposing National and European Narrative Contradictions

Political parties often adopt different narratives at the national and European levels. While they might present themselves as pro-environment, pro-worker, or progressive in their home countries, their votes in the EP may tell a different story. This duality is particularly problematic because it allows parties to mislead voters while avoiding accountability. By highlighting how national parties vote in the EP, discrepancies between their domestic messaging and their European actions can be exposed.

For example, many far-right or populist parties claim to support ordinary citizens while frequently opposing worker protections or social initiatives in EP votes. Similarly, mainstream parties may downplay their complicity in policies that contribute to inequality or environmental harm. Exposing these contradictions can help voters distinguish between rhetoric and reality, encouraging more informed decision-making in elections.

Showcasing Genuine Policy Differences

Increased awareness of EP votes can also reveal the substantive differences between political parties, helping citizens understand the ideological diversity of the European political landscape. Currently, low awareness often creates the perception that all major parties are essentially the same, fuelling apathy and disenchantment. This perception benefits extremist and populist parties, which thrive on presenting themselves as the only alternative to an untrustworthy establishment.

By making voting records more transparent and accessible, it becomes easier to show how parties diverge on crucial issues such as climate change, labour rights, migration, and digital privacy. Highlighting these differences empowers citizens to make choices based on substantive policy positions rather than vague slogans or populist appeals. It also dispels the myth that the EU is a monolithic bureaucracy detached from the diverse political interests of its member states.

Countering the Rise of the Far Right

The rise of far-right movements across Europe poses a serious challenge to democratic values, social cohesion, and human rights. These movements often capitalise on distrust in traditional political institutions, spreading misinformation and exploiting voter apathy. Increasing transparency and awareness of EP voting records can help combat these dynamics.

By exposing how far-right parties vote against measures that benefit their constituents—such as social protections, environmental safeguards, or anti-corruption measures—voters can see the disconnect between far-right rhetoric and action. Furthermore, when mainstream parties are held accountable for their voting patterns, it reduces the sense of impunity that populist movements often exploit. Transparency shines a light on political opportunism and disingenuous behaviour, making it harder for extremist parties to manipulate public opinion through fearmongering and false promises.

Practical Steps to Increase Transparency and Awareness

To achieve these goals, practical steps must be taken:

1. Publicising Voting Records: Please use the voting data and interactive datavisualisations on this website an enable your audience to easily track how their representatives voted on specific issues.

2. Civil Society Participation: Join our progressive hub to share alerts on upcoming votes or behaviours worth sharing with your members

3. Fight for more transparency in the plenary:We have million of plenary votes analysed and visualised, but it's still the minority of votes (the majority is still raised hands, ie. we do not know what each MEP voted). If an upcoming vote matters to you, contact political advisers or MEP in a group to ask them to put it on rollcall

4. Fight for more transparency in the committee:Sadly, the EP doesn't yet publish computer readable rollcalls in the committees, if you have contacts in the EP, ask them to put pressure where they can to fix that.

Conclusion

Using the data we have to increase awareness of voting patterns in the European Parliament is essential for strengthening democratic accountability, exposing political hypocrisy, and showcasing the ideological differences that define Europe’s political spectrum. These efforts are not only vital for empowering citizens but also for countering the rise of the far right, which feeds on misinformation and distrust. The stakes for the next European Parliament election could not be higher, and transparency is a cornerstone of defending democracy in these challenging times.