Vouliwatch is an independent, non-profit open government initiative, aiming at strengthening fundamental democratic principles such as transparency and accountability, and promoting democratic participation and active citizenship with the help of digital technology. Vouliwatch offers citizens the opportunity to monitor and evaluate legislative and parliamentary activity in an understandable and straightforward way, to publicly ask questions addressed to MPs/MEPs, and to remain informed on issues of European and global interest, such as open government, the right of access to information and possible ways to fight corruption.

Vouliwatch is an official member of the Open Government Partnership (actively involved, as an advisor, in drafting the 2016-2018 National Open Government Action Plan), the United Nations Coalition Against Corruption (UNCAC), as well as an informal network of European NGOs campaigning for the right of access to public information. In addition, it is a founding member of the first International Parliamentwatch Network with similar initiatives from around the world.

In 2020 the Foundation supported Vouliwatch’s work, covering part of its operating costs, in order to ensure that it can carry on with its activity, interventions and creative work, and continue performing its supervisory role and offering citizens direct and objective information and analysis of the dense law-making process. Throughout 2020, Vouliwatch implemented various advocacy and information actions focusing on the effects of the pandemic, including signing the letter of the civil society members of Open Government Partnership’s (OGP) Steering Committee for the protection of open, inclusive and accountable governance, with democratic standards and personal rights amidst the pandemic, and sending a letter to ensure both the quantity and quality of legislative work.

• 60,989 individual users have visited the Vouliwatch digital platform.
• 221 citizens’ questions addressed to MPs, 103 responses by MPs and 112 parliamentary correspondent articles posted on the Vouliwatch platform in 2020.

“Given that all our services and the information we collect on the work of Parliament are offered for free, in March 2020 Vouliwatch found itself in a precarious financial situation with its liquidity significantly restricted. The Latsis Foundation has provided valuable support for our work, ensuring the organisation’s survival. Vouliwatch has carried on with and expanded its advocacy for transparency and accountability, through information campaigns and campaigns on using the law as a tool for change as regards the use of public funds amidst a pandemic, by keeping track of legislation enacted to manage this emergency situation, and by expanding its digital applications for transparency regarding the assets of politicians (a tool for comparing ‘pothen esches’ statements, i.e. politicians’ assets and funds-source declarations).”

Stefanos Loukopoulos

Director/Co-Founder, Vouliwatch