Who are we?

A citizen website to understand local political life

This site is supported by a collective of citizens, with plural, non-partisan political opinions, who share a common conviction: local democracy cannot function without clear, accessible and understandable information for everyone.

We live, work or study in Montpellier and its metropolis. The decisions taken by the city hall and the metropolis have a direct impact on our daily lives. However, it is often difficult to understand precisely:

• who decides;
• on what basis;
• with what means;
• and with what concrete consequences.

This site was born from this difficulty.

Why does this site exist?

To make public action readable

Municipal politics is not limited to election campaigns. It translates into:

• budgets;
• urban projects;
• public policies;
• sometimes complex trade-offs.

We wish to make these elements understandable, without unnecessary jargon, so that everyone can form an enlightened opinion.

To allow everyone to form their own opinion

Our goal is not to say who to vote for, nor to defend a list or a party. We seek to give keys to understanding, to ask questions, to contextualize choices, and to compare speeches and actions.

Information only has democratic value if it allows debate.

An independent and non-partisan approach

We are linked to no political party, to no institution, to no economic actor.

The members of the collective have different sensibilities. This diversity is a richness: it forces us to be rigorous, to check facts and to confront points of view.

This site defends a method more than a line:

• rely on public sources;
• cross-reference information;
• distinguish facts, analyses and opinions.

Information, transparency and general interest

We consider that public information belongs to everyone.

That is why we work in particular from:

• administrative documents;
• budget data;
• public deliberations;
• and identified journalistic sources.

Our approach is part of a requirement for democratic transparency: understanding how public money is used, how priorities are set, and how decisions are made.

The local and national media context

We note, like many, that information is today produced in a context of strong media concentration, including at the local level.

This concentration can reduce:

• the diversity of points of view;
• the place given to substantive issues;
• the capacity to question the powers in place.

Without opposing existing media, this site aims to be complementary: a space for analysis, putting things into perspective and civic pedagogy.

Who is this site for?

This site is addressed to:

• the inhabitants of Montpellier and its metropolis;
• people who will vote in the municipal elections;
• those who wish to understand local issues without being specialists;
• curious, committed or simply concerned citizens.

No prior knowledge is necessary.

How do we use this site?

You will find:

• explanatory articles on the competences of the city hall and the metropolis;
• analyses of budgets and public policies;
• contextualization of municipal news;
• insights into local social, ecological and democratic issues.

Each content aims to answer simple questions:

• What are we talking about?
• Who decides?
• What are the concrete effects?
• What alternatives exist?

An open and evolving approach

This site is neither fixed nor definitive. It will evolve with:

• current events;
• feedback from readers;
• access to new data.

We choose clarity, pedagogy and good faith. We also know that understanding public action is a collective learning process.