Romain David, a student co-founder of vOtons.info with Pierre Valade and Edouard Schlumberger, agreed to answer questions from Nice-Premium. The website vOtons.info has been a real success, attracting 15,000 visitors per day. Romain explains the concept behind this success.
Nice-Premium: How did the project www.votons.info come about?
Romain David: We wanted in one way or another to participate in this electoral campaign. It seemed most useful for future voters to be able to compare the programs of the different presidential candidates. To this was added a poll showing that 75% of young people do not really know the content of the programs. We then set to work to create a real tool for comparison and exchange through forums.
NP: Can you introduce the vOtons.info team?
RD: The association vOtons.info was created in November 2006 by three students from business and engineering schools who are particularly passionate about politics. The association aims to inform as many citizens as possible about political issues, with a focus on clarity, neutrality, transparency, and independence.
NP: How do you work and do you have contacts with different political parties?
RD: We live in three different cities, so we work via the Internet and meet regularly to review and decide together on upcoming projects.
We have indeed started to establish contacts with candidates. Some have already responded positively (the FN, Cap 21, Debout la Rรฉpublique) and we are waiting for other responses.
NP: What difficulties are you facing?
RD: The main difficulty is managing the site by three in addition to our studies. Our site demands constant updating of proposals as debates, articles, or meetings evolve. We must also check the forums daily. But we are motivated and passionate, so we really enjoy it.
NP: You are closely following the campaign. What is your analysis of it and, in your opinion, what will the election hinge on?
RD: We created vOtons.info to contribute to the launch of the campaign substance at a time when only the media image of the candidates was highlighted. The debate now seems to have started, and we are delighted about it. The campaign started very early this year, and so has the real political debate; that is why we think that political programs will be a fundamental issue in this campaign as citizens are starting to take a close interest in the ideas of different candidates.
NP: Are there any developments planned by April 22? (Interviews, polls, reports)
RD: For now, we will question candidates on specific proposals to clarify certain obscure points or allow candidates to deepen their ideas. But we are regularly looking for ideas for evolution for our site by meeting or reading the ideas of internet users on forums.
NP: What will become of votons.info after the presidential election?
RD: This is a question often asked on the forums. The idea we have for now is that of a results comparator. It would be about comparing the promises of the elected candidate with his concrete actions in order to draw up a real report throughout his term.
