Abstract
The internet and the possibilities that social communities like Facebook offer for the future of a more participatory democracy are increasingly occupying political debates. The letter "e" reflects the promises of this new politics: e-government, e-participation and e-democracy are terms that need to be clarified and examined to see to what extent this gives citizen participation a new quality among the younger generation. Since digital media are capable of mobilising younger people politically, not only in the Arab world, the question arises as to whether these new means can be used to articulate participatory interests in a new way beyond the established institutions of politics - not least through changes in the sphere of the political itself. This paper takes up the discussion about the political internet and illustrates the related questions within the framework of an empirical study of political groups from Switzerland that have formed on Facebook.
