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Media News - Monday, June 02, 2008

EU plans ‘political MySpace’

Plans are being developed to launch a social networking site for MEPs and MPs to boost contacts between politicians across Europe and promote a trans-European democracy. Myparl.eu - officially to be launched in October - is a website currently under construction that aims to work along the same lines as the popular MySpace or Facebook social networking services, but in addition to linking social contacts is supposed to foster debate about legislative proposals coming both out of Brussels and from national parliaments. The first official talks on the project, which is sponsored by the European Commission and will receive EU funds, took place in Brussels on Thursday (28 May) involving MEPs and the 27 national co-ordinators for each member state. Daniela Vincenti Mitchener, editor of the site, told EUobserver the project is about ‘creating a transnational community of ideas’ and that it will alert MPs to MPs in other countries ‘who are thinking alike.’ The project could potentially involve up to 20,000 people, including politicians from regional governments and parliaments. It is planned that the site will be managed in the three main working languages of the EU - French, German and English - but that people can also post comments in their own language. Myparl.eu will put forward three main themes for debate - the future of Europe, climate change and intercultural dialogue. The site is planned to be open to the public, who will be able to react to the issues with letters to the editor. However, only MPs and MEPs will be able to post comments. (EU Observer)