Independent Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou has announced he was creating a digital app that he said would allow European citizens to participate actively in European politics by voting on topics discussed in the European Parliament.
In a video published on X on December 9, the 25-year-old MEP said the app was being developed to facilitate his desire for “direct democracy”.
“I believe in direct democracy, that is why I am building an app so people can have a direct saying here at the European Parliament,” he said.
I'm Building an App for Direct Democracy pic.twitter.com/eMQ3LHiMYf
— Fidias (@Fidias0) December 9, 2024
With his initiative, the MEP has entered the debate over whether EU democracy is practically adequate.
“I envision this app to be a step towards where citizens not only vote every five years but can actually [do so] in everyday decision making and the development of legislation,” he said.
The MEP’s as-yet unnamed app marks a direct continuity of his social media polls.
He has often asked his followers online to take part in topics discussed in the European Parliament or to take part in deciding his own political decisions.
Panayiotou’s decisions to remain unaligned in the Parliament and run as an independent in the EP elections in June were as a result of social media polls.
His polls have often contradicted what MEPs have generally voted for in Brussels.
During European Commission President. Ursula von der Leyen’s bid for reappointment as the head of the body, his followers voted against her approval as commission chief for a second term, which she ultimately gained.
Social media influencer-turned-MEP Fidias Panayiotou has let his followers choose whether they want to support Ursula von der Leyen as the head of the European Commission for a second term. https://t.co/2q9U2Oz0gc
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) July 15, 2024
Critics of Panayiotou have often argued that his polls were not accurate due to his and their global exposure.
The MEP also recognised that non-EU citizens online could participate in such, hence the creation of an app designed for use by citizens of the bloc.
In his presentation video, he assured that his app “will be more secure” than others.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk responded to the video, endorsing Fidias’ idea, saying it “seems cool”.
But not all share Musk’s enthusiasm. Some X users have remained concerned about user-data protection.
One remarked on X on December 9: “Feels like a Biometric ID trap. Who controls the app’s back end?”
“Just like polls are used to present artificial consensus, this app is a control point that must not exist unless its control is transparent. We should try really hard not to act like monkeys that get dazzled with shiny toys,” the user added.
When asked by Brussels Signal about Panayiotou’s app, the commission said it would not comment on individual announcements by MEPs but said it remained committed to “the importance of citizen and stakeholder outreach, as well as strengthening the partnership between the European Commission and the European Parliament”.
The European Parliament did not reply to a request for comment on the project.
The app will be first available in Cyprus as a test run before its planned spread to other EU countries, according to Panayiotou.
Will new MEPs push EP towards a form of ‘participatory democracy’? https://t.co/vNxYwW6nEq
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) June 24, 2024
