10 years of confrontation between French Internet users and their successive governments

Abstract

This paper is a testimony on the relations between the Internet users and their governments in France during the last decade. It shows the complexity of communication between two worlds that are strangers to each other. Since most of the confrontation occurred over law proposals, it analyses their impact on Internet users and focuses on two examples. These example show the failure of Internet as a political medium. French politicians do not seem to want an active participation of the citizens in decisionmaking processes. In order to end this paper on an optimistic note, the last section enumerates the achievements of egovernment which contributed preparing for a better democracy by increasing transparency, accountability, and education. This might push citizens to ask for more.