(VITORIA-GASTEIZ, SPAIN), October 6, 2025 — On Monday, October 6, the Basque Parliament and the Congress of Deputies of Spain hosted the Open Parliament Day 2025, an international event organized jointly by the Open Parliament e-Network (OpeN), and the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The meeting brought together legislators, parliamentary staff, and representatives of civil society and international organizations from around the world to exchange initiatives, experiences, and challenges linked to the global Open Parliament agenda.
The event highlighted the crucial role of parliaments in promoting transparency, citizen participation, accountability and integrity, while showcasing leading international practices that can strengthen democratic institutions and public trust.
The day began with an inaugural session featuring high-level representatives. Hon. Bakartxo Tejeria, Speaker of the Basque Parliament; Mr. Paul Maassen, Chief of Global Programs of OGP; Hon. Magda Salgado (Mexico), Vice-president for North America of the Open Parliament Network of ParlAmericas, on behalf of OPeN; and Hon. Francina Armengol, Speaker of the Congress of Deputies, delivered opening remarks.
The program continued with three thematic panels and Q&A reflecting the priorities of Open Parliament:
- Panel I: Transparency and Access to Information, moderated by Fernando Galindo (Congress of Deputies), examined open data and legislative openness initiatives, as well as the responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve accountability and citizens’ access to information. Speakers included Hon. Cristián Araya (Chile), Caroline Gaita (Mzalendo Trust, Kenya), Sammy Obeng (PNAfrica, Ghana) and Arturo D’Antonio (Parliament of Italy).
- Panel II: Citizen Participation in the Legislative Process, moderated by Miguel Ángel Gonzalo (Congress of Deputies) explored mechanisms to involve citizens in parliamentary decision-making, such as public consultations, hearings, and digital platforms. Contributions were made by Hon. Luz Mary Alpízar (Costa Rica), Vice-president for Central America of the Open Parliament Network of ParlAmericas, Hon. Antidio Fagúndez (Spain), Hon. Mohammed Ghayate (Morocco) and Hon. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey (Ghana).
- Panel III: Ethics, Integrity and Parliamentary Accountability, moderated by Kristen Sample (NDI), focused on ethical standards, conflict of interest disclosures, and anti-corruption measures to strengthen trust in legislative institutions. Speakers included María Baron (Directorio Legislativo, Argentina), Silvina Bacigalupo Saggese (Transparency International Spain) and Carlos Parry (Spain).
The closing session summarized the main takeaways from the panels and reinforced the global commitment to legislative openness. Final remarks were delivered by Ms. Ana Elorza, Coordinator of the Science and Technology Office of the Congress of Deputies; Mr. Anthony Smith, Chief Executive of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), on behalf of OPeN; Mr. Paul Braithwaite, Regional Lead, Europe (OGP); and Hon. Isaura Leal, Second Secretary of the Congress of Deputies.
Open Parliament Day 2025 reaffirmed the importance of building transparent, participatory, and accountable legislatures, while strengthening international cooperation to advance this agenda worldwide.
