A transparent window into democracy

For the German federal parliament (Deutscher Bundestag), communicating clearly and credibly with the public is more than a priority — it’s a democratic responsibility. With over 18 million annual visitors, the Bundestag’s online platform has become a vital channel for reliable political information, transparency and public engagement. 

For over 30 years, Babiel has supported the German Bundestag in its digital evolution. And for more than a decade, CoreMedia has powered the platform’s content architecture. Together, we’ve built an agile, secure and accessible digital experience that serves citizens, journalists and political professionals alike. 

Parliamentary procedures are complex. The Bundestag’s editorial team simplifies this by tying content together across legislative steps. Articles are created for each debated or voted topic, linking all relevant documents, speeches and voting results, which offers users the full context in one place, saving them time to find trustworthy sources and foster a deeper understanding of political processes. 

This is supported by deep linking and multimedia features. Users can trace a law’s entire journey, revisit every related speech and see detailed voting results broken down by party, age group and gender. Profiles of members of parliament also include full voting histories and speech archives, enabling greater accountability. Behind the scenes, the editorial process is streamlined with reusable content components, structured approval and translation workflows, ensuring fast updates and consistent quality. 

Accessibility is more than a foundational requirement for the German Bundestag – it is their commitment to inclusive democracy. The website and apps are designed for everyone to engage with and are externally audited for compliance, support screen readers and offer German sign language translations of all plenary sessions. Simplified and easy-to-read language ensures that content is understandable for people with cognitive or linguistic challenges, enabling broader participation in political discourse. 

Additionally, youth-specific portals, such as Kuppelkucker and Mitmischen, help foster early political engagement through age-appropriate content. 

From election night surges to high-profile speeches, the Bundestag experiences unpredictable traffic peaks. Its platform scales automatically, handling up to 20 times average daily traffic without manual intervention. 

Behind the scenes, a sovereign DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) mitigation service and a secure ISO 27001-certified architecture ensure consistent uptime and protection. In 2024 alone, the platform resisted multiple attempted cyberattacks without disruption. 

AI is part of the Bundestag’s future, but with caution. Upcoming initiatives include real-time speech translation, AI-assisted editorial research and text-to-speech features for accessibility. But every step is guided by this principle: trust must never be compromised, and humans must stay in control of both content and processes. 

With CoreMedia, the Bundestag continues to deliver a digital experience that’s transparent, inclusive and reliable, strengthening the foundation of democratic engagement in the digital age.