Livestream of the municipality of Götzis: Decision without a citizen view on June 30th!

Livestream of the municipality of Götzis: Decision without a citizen view on June 30th!

Götzis, Österreich - On May 12, 2025, a debated decision was made in Götzis about the live stream of the municipal council, which, however, received no public transmission. The ÖVP presented an application to abolish the livestream in cooperation with the Götzis Citizens' Movement (BBG) and the FPÖ. The NEOS and the green list of Götzis, which spoke out to preserve the transfer, were opposite. NEOS community representative Jörg Maninger emphasized the central importance of transparency in democracy, especially in times of low voter participation, which is less than 50 percent. The NEOS also expressed content-related concerns about the costs of streaming technology, which were initially estimated at 10,000 euros, and later even with up to 25,000 euros. According to NEOS, these costs were not based on valid estimates, which triggered a critical discussion about the financial policy and decisions of the ÖVP.

The NEOS also referred to cheaper streaming offers in other municipalities, which initiated the discussion about the need for the requested abolition. In addition, they criticized the creation of a new municipal board, which brings annual additional costs of 9,240 euros. While the FPÖ brought in a adhesion application to obtain reliable offers, it was only heard at Neos. However, both the ÖVP and the BBG rejected the application.

political arguments and democracy

Mayor Manfred Böhmwalder interrupted the meeting, but after resumption, Vice Mayor Christoph Längle made an application for the final termination of the live stream. This decision should be made on June 30, 2025 in the Götzis fire station without a live broadcast. Neos described the procedure as a "democratic policy certificate of poverty" and demanded more transparency in the decision -making process.

The debate about the live stream in Götzis reflects greater social challenges associated with digitization and the role of the Internet in politics. Max Weber defined politics as the meeting of collectively binding decisions that affect both material and intangible values. The functionality of the Internet as a communication architecture depends heavily on political decisions, even if these are often made at different levels - federal, national or European -

In times when national regulations can contribute to a fragmentation of the Internet, the discussion about digital transparency and access to information becomes increasingly important. At this point it is important to note that the global networking of the Internet democratic decisions are not always easy to implement. Therefore, network policy has become a separate policy area that deals with the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. Political reactions to social regulatory demands have increased in recent years, especially as a result of Corona pandemic.

Overall, the situation in Götzis shows how important transparency and citizen participation are in digital democracy. In view of the upcoming decision about the livestream, it will be shown how the community deals with the expectations of its citizens and the challenges of modern politics.