CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" class="en no-js "> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="robots" content="index, follow"> <meta name="viewport" content='width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"'> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/look/fsfe.min.css?20230215" type="text/css"> <link rel="stylesheet" media="print" href="/look/print.css" type="text/css"> <link rel="icon" href="/graphics/fsfe.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/graphics/touch-icon.png" type="image/png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/graphics/touch-icon.png" type="image/png"> <link rel="alternate" title="FSFE " href="/news/news.en.rss" type="application/rss+xml"> <link rel="alternate" title="FSFE " href="/events/events.en.rss" type="application/rss+xml"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="en" lang="en" href="/news/2024/news-20240321-01.en.html" title="English"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" lang="fr" href="/news/2024/news-20240321-01.fr.html" title="Français"> <meta name="description" content="European citizens will hit the ballot boxes from 6 to 9 June 2024 to choose their next representatives in the European Parliament. As the campaign heats up..."> <meta name="fediverse:creator" content="@fsfe@mastodon.social"> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@fsfe"> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/52/3a/970a16ed77991bb4172d382088d6.jpeg"> <meta name="twitter:image:alt" content="Illustration done with a computer showing the parliament of the city with people and buildings around"> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Let’s advocate together for Free Software in the European Elections - FSFE"> <meta name="twitter:description" content="European citizens will hit the ballot boxes from 6 to 9 June 2024 to choose their next representatives in the European Parliament. As the campaign heats up..."> <meta property="og:type" content="article"> <meta property="og:site_name" content="FSFE - Free Software Foundation Europe"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/52/3a/970a16ed77991bb4172d382088d6.jpeg"> <meta property="og:image:alt" content="Illustration done with a computer showing the parliament of the city with people and buildings around"> <meta property="og:locale" content="en"> <meta property="og:url" content="https://fsfe.org/news/2024/news-20240321-01.html"> <meta property="og:title" content="Let’s advocate together for Free Software in the European Elections - FSFE"> <meta property="og:description" content="European citizens will hit the ballot boxes from 6 to 9 June 2024 to choose their next representatives in the European Parliament. As the campaign heats up..."> <script src="/scripts/jquery-3.5.1.min.js"></script><script src="/scripts/modernizr.custom.65251.js"></script> <title>Let’s advocate together for Free Software in the European Elections - FSFE</title> </head> <body class="news"> <nav id="translations" class="alert"><a class="close" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#translations" href="#"> × </a><a class="contribute-translation" href="/contribute/translators/index.en.html">Translate this page?</a><ul> <li>English</li> <li><a href="/news/2024/news-20240321-01.fr.html">Français</a></li> </ul></nav><header id="top"><div id="masthead"><a id="logo" href="/index.en.html"><span>Free Software Foundation Europe</span></a></div> <nav id="menu"><p>Go to:</p> <ul id="direct-links"> <li id="direct-to-menu-list"><a href="#menu-list">Menu</a></li> <li id="direct-to-content"><a href="#content">Content</a></li> <li id="direct-to-page-info"><a href="#page-info">Page info</a></li> </ul> <input type="checkbox" id="burger"><label for="burger"><i class="fa fa-bars fa-lg"></i></label><div id="menu-list"> <ul><li id="menu-donate"><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/2024/news-20240321-01.html"><i class="fa fa-heart-o fa-lg"></i> Donate</a></li></ul> <ul id="menu-sections"> <li><a href="/about/about.en.html">About</a></li> <li><a href="/activities/activities.en.html">Activities</a></li> <li><a href="/contribute/contribute.en.html">Contribute</a></li> <li class="visible-xs"><a href="/news/news.en.html">Latest News</a></li> <li class="visible-xs"><a href="/events/events.en.html">Upcoming Events</a></li> <li class="visible-xs"><a href="/news/podcast.en.html">Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="/press/press.en.html">Press</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/"><i class="fa fa-sign-in fa-lg"></i> Login</a></li> <li id="menu-translations"><a href="#translations" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#translations"><i class="fa fa-globe fa-lg"></i> Change language</a></li> <li id="menu-search-box"><form method="GET" action="/search/search.en.html"><div class="input-group"> <div class="input-group-btn"><button class="btn btn-primary" type="submit"><i class="fa fa-search"></i></button></div> <input placeholder="Search terms..." type="text" name="q" size="10" class="form-control"> </div></form></li> </ul> </div></nav></header><div id="notifications"><div id="infobox"></div></div> <main><div id="content"> <p id="category"><a href="/news/news.en.html">News</a></p> <h1 id="id-let’s-advocate-together-for-free-software-in-the-european-elections">Let’s advocate together for Free Software in the European Elections</h1> <div id="article-metadata"> <span class="published-on">on: </span><time class="dt-published">2024-03-21</time> </div> <p> European citizens will hit the ballot boxes from 6 to 9 June 2024 to choose their next representatives in the European Parliament. As the campaign heats up, it is important to get active and ensure Software Freedom is part of the larger political debate. How can you do this? Find practical advice on how to advocate for Free Software in the coming months! </p> <figure> <img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/52/3a/970a16ed77991bb4172d382088d6.jpeg" alt="Illustration done with a computer showing the parliament of the city with people and buildings around"> </figure> <p> Every five years, European citizens elect their representatives to the European Parliament, the EU's sole directly elected institution. These representatives shape new EU legislation and how taxpayers' money is spent. The electoral campaign has started and candidates across Europe are organising and taking part in different events to listen to citizens’ demands. Electoral programs are often written during these events, together with your input. Get active and ask your candidates their stance on Free Software (also known as Open Source). </p> <h3 id="id-get-to-know-your-candidates-and-their-events">Get to know your candidates and their events</h3> <p> Identifying your local EU candidates is the first step to starting the debate. You can search political parties’ and institutional websites to find the candidates running for election in your area. If elected, they are the ones who represent you based on your area of residence and have more direct contact with their constituents. In the run-up to the elections, round-table discussions, election booths and debates with candidates will be held. To find those, do not forget to check the candidates’ social network accounts, too. </p> <p> Additionally, seek recommendations from <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/">local Free Software advocacy groups or communities</a>, as they might take part in or organise meetings related to the European elections. </p> <h3 id="id-talk-to-your-candidates">Talk to your candidates</h3> <p> Once you found a way to talk to your candidates, you can kick off the conversation starting with <a href="/freesoftware/index.en.html">the basics</a>. If you cannot find any event around your area, you can directly ask for a meeting with the candidates, or you can propose local groups and communities to organise one! Ask candidates if they know <a href="/freesoftware/index.en.html">what Free Software is and tell them why it is important</a> for a democratic society. If you cannot go to an event or meet the candidate in person, you can also write an email to your local candidate and ask their position on Free Software. </p> <p>Free Software is an important topic when it comes to public administrations. You can use the following arguments to explain why: </p> <ul> <li> Free Software, thanks to the four freedoms, allows public administrations to take control of their digital infrastructure. Using Free Software in public administrations is a prerequisite for becoming digitally sovereign and crucial for a resilient digital society, especially in times of crisis. </li> <li> Free Software licenses help public administrations to escape dependency and vendor lock-in, which at a high cost hinders competition and innovation. </li> <li> Free Software ensures that the source code is accessible so that security holes can be fixed without depending on one service provider. </li> </ul> <p></p> <blockquote> <p>Mention the FSFE’s <a href="https://publiccode.eu/">“Public Money? Public Code!”</a> initiative and ask the candidates a position on the topic. Make their answers public to help other people in the EU understand the candidates’ positions on Free Software.</p> <p>You can also find <a href="/contribute/spreadtheword">informative material</a> on Free Software, “Public Money? Public Code!” and other relevant topics on our website. All the material can be printed or requested for free through our request form. This material can be useful to get a basic and simple understanding of Free Software and can be easily shared. Make use of it!</p> <p>Find more advice, a mail template and a toot template in this <a href="/activities/publiccode/get-active.en.html#letter-template">new page</a> on how to get active during electoral campaigns!</p> </blockquote> <figure> <img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/original/4a/13/cfc76939fd386c51ab26a60525f5.jpg" alt="Example of a sharepic image. In this case, it is showing a man face with the sentence 'code paid by people should be available to the people'!"> </figure> <h3 id="id-be-active-on-social-media">Be active on social media</h3> <p> Do you want to use social media platforms to amplify your message and engage a wider audience? Share informative content about Free Software, emphasise the importance of open standards, and advocate for policies prioritising digital freedoms. Use hashtags like #publiccode to join discussions and encourage others to do the same, pointing out Free Software's significance for shaping our democratic society in the digital age. </p> <p> Moreover, you can use our <a href="https://sharepic.fsfe.org/#pmpc">share-pic generator</a> and share why you support our “Public Money? Public Code!” campaign. Post your share-pic on social media and encourage others to do the same. </p> <p> You can also follow us on social media and contribute to spreading the word during these crucial months that will shape Europe for the next years. </p> <h3 id="id-help-us-continue-our-work">Help us continue our work</h3> <p> Our team and volunteers are working daily with decision-makers, advocating for Free Software on all levels. Your support enables us to continue our work, protecting our community and engaging with legislators to shape policies that uphold Free Software principles. Please consider becoming an FSFE supporter and making a donation. Thank you! </p> <p class="text-center"> <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/news/2024/news-20240321-01.html" class="btn btn-lg btn-primary"> Become a supporter! </a> </p> <p id="discussion-link"><a class="learn-more" href="https://community.fsfe.org/t/1146">Discuss this </a></p> <footer id="tags"><h2>Tags</h2> <ul class="tags"> <li><a href="/tags/tagged-news.en.html">News</a></li> <li><a href="/tags/tagged-elections.en.html">EU Elections</a></li> <li><a href="/tags/tagged-european-union.en.html">European Union</a></li> <li><a href="/tags/tagged-pmpc.en.html">"Public Money? Public Code!"</a></li> </ul></footer> </div> <aside id="sidebar"><h3>Press</h3> <ul> <li><a href="/press/press.en.html">Press Room</a></li> <li><a href="/news/news.en.html">Latest News</a></li> <li><a href="/freesoftware/freesoftware.en.html">Free Software Basics</a></li> </ul> <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/support" class="small-donate">Become a supporter</a><h3 class="promo">About the FSFE</h3> <p> Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to control technology. </p> <p> Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our lives. It is important that this technology empowers rather than restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use, study, share, and improve software. These rights help support other fundamental rights like freedom of speech, freedom of press, and privacy. </p> <a href="/about/about.en.html" class="learn-more">Learn more</a></aside></main><aside id="followup" class="subscribe-nl"><h2>Subscribe to our email updates</h2> <p>Our experts inform you about current news, events, activities, and how you can contribute.<span style="font-size:0.8em"> (<a href="/about/legal/imprint.en.html#id-privacy-policy"><span style="color:white; text-decoration: underline;">Privacy Policy</span></a>) </span></p> <form class="form-inline" id="formnl" name="formnl" method="POST" action="https://my.fsfe.org/subscribe"> <input type="hidden" name="language" value="en"><input type="input" style="display: none !important" name="password" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off"><input id="yourname" name="name" type="text" required="required" placeholder="Your Name"><input id="email" name="email1" type="email" required="required" placeholder="Email Address"><fsfe-cd-referrer-input></fsfe-cd-referrer-input><input type="hidden" name="wants_info" value="yes"><input type="hidden" name="wants_newsletter_info" value="yes"><input type="hidden" name="category" value="i"><input id="submit" type="submit" value="Subscribe"> </form></aside><nav id="direct-to-top"><a href="#top">Go to the top</a></nav><footer><div id="page-info"> <div> <p class="share-buttons footer"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@fsfe"><img src="/graphics/services/mastodon.png" alt="Mastodon" title="Mastodon"></a><a href="https://media.fsfe.org/a/fsfe/videos"><img src="/graphics/services/peertube.png" alt="Peertube" title="Peertube"></a></p> <p>Copyright © 2001-2025 <a href="/index.en.html">Free Software Foundation Europe</a>.</p> <p> Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved. </p> </div> <div> <p><a href="/about/contact.en.html">Contact us</a></p> <p><a href="/about/jobs/index.en.html">Jobs</a></p> <p><a href="/about/legal/imprint.en.html">Imprint</a> / <a href="/about/legal/imprint.en.html#id-privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a> / <a href="/about/transparency-commitment.en.html">Transparency Commitment</a></p> <p> FSFE has <a href="/about/fsfnetwork.en.html">sister organisations</a> in <a href="//www.fsf.org/">North America</a>, <a href="http://fsf.org.in/">India</a> and <a href="http://www.fsfla.org/">Latin America</a>. </p> </div> <div> <p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://git.fsfe.org/FSFE/fsfe-website/src/branch/master/fsfe.org/news/2024/news-20240321-01.en.xhtml">Source code</a></p> <p><a href="/contribute/web/web.en.html">Contribute to the Web team</a></p> <p><a href="/contribute/translators/translators.en.html">Translate this page?</a></p> <p></p> <p><a href="/about/js-licences.en.html" data-jslicense="1">JavaScript Licences</a></p> </div> </div></footer><script src="/scripts/bootstrap-3.0.3.custom.js"></script> </body> </html>