About us
A constructive mirror for Belgian democracy.
The Mavericks are the independent civic-tech team behind Open Parliament. We make the Parliament make sense. We turn complex parliamentary processes into accessible public knowledge. We make democracy more transparent, open and accountable.
The narrative
Opening the Black Box of the Parliament.
Making the Parliament make sense. Making politics open, accessible, understandable, accountable. Open Parliament is the first AI-powered neutral mirror for Belgian political accountability.
It is an AI-powered open data platform that makes Belgian parliamentary work understandable, trackable, and accountable by turning complex parliamentary data into clear, neutral, source-backed intelligence.
We turn fragmented parliamentary data into clear, structured, source-based insights so citizens, journalists, NGOs, and businesses can finally see what happens inside the Belgian Federal Parliament — and what it means in practice.
At its core, it is a neutral intelligence layer for democracy: a platform that ingests public political data, applies AI to organize and interpret it, and delivers transparent, verifiable insights without spin, bias, or party preference. It was born under the Belgium’s 40 under 40 (opens in a new tab) initiative: a societal leadership and impact platform, where the Mavericks met and joined forces on a year-long field project to drive real impact on Belgian governance.
The problem
Belgian parliamentary data is public in theory, but inaccessible in reality.
- Scattered across websites and buried in PDFs.
- Written in technical language.
- Hard to compare across speakers, committees, votes and policy files.
- Understanding it takes a law degree or a political background.
That gap has consequences. When institutions are hard to understand, noise outpaces nuance and perception replaces evidence.
Fragile institutions
Trust erodes and the distance between citizens and their representatives widens. Their day-to-day work stays invisible.
Algorithmic amplification
Platforms reward engagement over accuracy: sensationalism wins, legislative detail and context lose.
Economic and societal costs
Companies, NGOs and consultancies spend heavily to navigate opaque rules, while citizens lose clear, objective insight into political decisions.
Open Parliament tackles this head-on: a trusted, easy-to-use reference point for parliamentary accountability. No law degree required.
Why we exist
Too often political discourse becomes:
- Soundbites over substance
- Outrage over solutions
- Polarization over progress
We built a constructive mirror.
A space that highlights quality, independence, alignment, and solutions. Accountability rooted in dignity.
What we stand for
Five words we hold ourselves to.
- 01
Quality
Substance over soundbites.
- 02
Independence
No party preference. Social impact over monetization.
- 03
Alignment
We show where positions meet, not only where they clash.
- 04
Solutions
Solutions over outrage. Progress over polarization.
- 05
Dignity
Accountability rooted in dignity.
What sets us apart
Why Open Parliament.
Social impact over monetization
We build for the public good first. Our tools exist to make civic oversight easier.
Relevant expertise
A unique skillset at the crossroads of technology, AI, democracy and governance.
Born in the field
A year-long field project under the Belgium’s 40 under 40 initiative, focused on real impact on Belgian governance.
Let’s talk about the Parliament.
A question, an idea, a partnership? We would like to hear from you.