“Hey Miss Turunen! Is that really you?” This was one of the questions posted during the first web chat on our Facebook page last week.

Well, to answer it somewhat belatedly: yes it was really her, Parliament’s youngest Member. Sitting to my left in her office, logged into our page with her very own personal Facebook account and trying to read all those questions as they were coming in (three per minute) and to type in as many answers as possible, and to refresh the page every now and then, just to be confronted with another dozen of new questions each time…. and I was sweating.

It was an experiment, I had warned her before. Still, I must admit that we, my collegauges Anete and Raffaella and myself (we look jointly after Parliament’s Facebook page) were “somewhat” nervous.

After all, though young (25) and familiar with social media and their use for politics, Emilie Turunen is not only a real person but also an MEP (really). And the whole thing was going to be  live….

The scope for managing the whole experiment once started were …limited

So the scope for managing the whole experiment once started were… limited. Even technically, this was terra incognita. Facebook pages are not made for chats among “fans” (the Facebook chat application allows only for chats among mutal friends). On the other hand: We had seen many times that our posts or comments in reaction to the posts did trigger truly pan-European discussions among fans. So wasn’t this just simply the next logical step?

But still, we simply did not know what would happen come 16:30. Would anyone be interested ? What if only a handful of comments came in? What kind of things would people post and how would she react ?

Finally the hour, no: the minute of truth: The questions came in, by the second that Anete had posted the opening status update with Emilie’s photo, more than she could possibly handle.

Comments and questions touched upon more or less any aspect of EU and current affairs that people who care about the EU, and politics more globally, may be interested in : from the financial crisis and its impact for employment in Europe to the Copenhagen climate summit, EU enlargements, Denmark and the Euro, political youth participation, the next EU Commission, and transparency of EU decision-making… to name just some.

Quite a few Facebook fans also wanted to know more about Emilie Turunen and what it is like to be a Member of this Parliament at such a young age. Do you feel accepted?

I have to show my badge more often than the 55-year old men in suits!

In her own words:  “Yes, I feel accepted. I think it is all about preparation, seriousness in the debates, competence and self-confidence. But of course I have to show my badge (that shows I am a member) more often than the 55-year old men in suits!”

Finally, at 17:00 I felt relieved and knew : “Wow, this has worked!”

Emilie Turunen, although the 30 minutes must have been stressful for her, clearly was pleased as well with how things went. She seemed even more enthusiastic then before the whole thing: impressed by the geographical variety of the EP page fan community, the immediateness of reactions, the generally friendly tone and the fact that all comments (well almost) were very much on topic and showed a keen, authentic  interest in the Parliament and her work and as an MEP. Even  more, some fans posted comments after the chat, and they were, now this is an understatement, very encouraging.

All in all, these 30 minutes showed, could have shown to anyone doubtful,  that social media are different and can be used in ways quite different from traditional media:

“I think that social networks, like Facebook, are the future. It is a direct form of communication (…) today you have talked to an MEP.. . and I have talked to a lot of young people from all over Europe.That’s perfect!”, wrote Emilie Turunen.

Before this chat experiment, we had pondered for a while where to take our Facebook page next, and how to explore the potential for two way communication further.

After all, so far the page had been primarily a channel of information provided by us, staff of Parliament’s communication department, to people out there on Facebook. It had also developed into a platform for all those interested and keen to discuss all things European with people from all over the continent. Not little, but not more either.

Our Facebook “fans” knew and know that the European Parliament is not its communication department:  the Parliament is first and foremost its members.

In the end, our Facebook “fans” knew and know that the European Parliament is not its communication department:  the Parliament is first and foremost its members, the people that hammer out resolutions and legislative amendments, and vote on them.

Hence the conviction that if our page really is to become “two way”, interactive and participatory we  have to engage MEPs systematically and often. The “chat” is just one way of doing that, and we are trying to come up and try out other means and ways (and new ideas are always welcome).

To Emilie Turunen will always belong the honour and the glory that she was the first – although, it must be said that, if we had turned to other MEPs, many more would have volunteered, probably. But the fact that she was the same generation as most of our Facebook fans just seemed both appealing and at the same time a risk limiting strategy.

Next is, this Tuesday night at 18:00, MEP Catherine Trautmann. This is another first, in this case the first “rapporteur”, meaning the member who is responsible for steering an issue through Parliament and to negotiate with the Council.

Ms Trautmann signs responsible for the EU telecom package agreement. She secured an agreement that came pretty close to what MEPs had requested, in a surprise vote before the elections, in order to set very clear limits for companies, authorities, and national law makers, when it comes to cutting people off from their access to the web. Serious stuff..  and hence this chat probably is politically at least as much reason for us to be nervous and for everybody else to be there, on our Facebook page.