feodaalista

Feodaalista is an online platform developed by the Finnish government to enhance public participation in legislative processes. Launched in 2022, the project aims to provide citizens with a simple interface for proposing ideas, commenting on draft laws, and tracking the progress of policy initiatives. Its name derives from the Finnish word “feodaalis,” reflecting a commitment to democratic values rooted in the historical “feudal” system, and the suffix “lista,” meaning list or collection.

The platform is built on an open‑source framework that supports multilingual input, allowing users to submit content in Finnish and Swedish. Each proposal consists of a brief text, supporting documents, and optional images. Users can vote for or against proposals, and comments are moderated to prevent hate speech and misinformation. Feodaalista records timestamps for submissions, votes, and governmental responses, making the legislative timeline transparent for researchers and journalists.

Since its launch, Feodaalista has received over 5,000 submissions across various policy areas including climate action, digital infrastructure, and education reform. The platform integrates with Finland’s e‑government portal, enabling legislators to review public input directly before drafting final texts. Several proposals that originated on Feodaalista later appeared in parliamentary debates, demonstrating its influence on policy formulation.

Critics argue that the low engagement rate compared to traditional town‑hall meetings may indicate a digital divide, while supporters highlight the platform’s potential to democratise the policy‑making process. Studies by independent research institutes suggest that citizens who use Feodaalista are more politically informed, though overall adoption remains modest.

In 2024, the government announced plans to expand Feodaalista by adding collaboration tools, such as shared workspaces for drafting legislation, and to link the platform with local municipalities. Future updates also aim to incorporate sentiment analysis to help lawmakers understand public opinion trends. Despite ongoing debates about its reach, Feodaalista represents an innovative attempt to embed citizen feedback into Finland’s legislative workflow.