Click, Vote, Spend: Mongolia Tries Democracy by Budget

Mongolian is letting citizens weigh in on its national budget for the first time. Whether their input shapes spending priorities or gets buried in bureaucracy remains to be seen.

Mongolia’s government is inviting citizens to comment on the initial draft of its 2026 state budget. Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar has framed this as a bold step toward transparency and accountability. It is also a political gamble.

As of August 5, 2025, over 100,000 citizens submitted feedback on Mongolia’s draft 2026 budget—an unprecedented show of digital participation.

This is not Zandanshatar’s first attempt to widen public input. As Parliament Speaker, he launched the “D-Parliament” and “D-Petition” platforms, which gave Mongolians a chance to shape the legislative agenda directly. 

A recent case in point: a citizen-led campaign to reduce personal income taxes triggered formal parliamentary review earlier this year. Zandanshatar also shepherded constitutional reforms through a national deliberative process.

The 2026 budget consultation builds on that record. For the first time, the public can submit feedback on a draft spending plan before it reaches Parliament. The initiative falls neatly within the government’s 100-day plan and reflects Zandanshatar’s push for tighter fiscal discipline and greater accountability to taxpayers.

Submissions are being accepted through E-Mongolia, the country’s main digital platform with 2 million users, but also via phone, email, in-person visits, and the “11-11” citizen hotline. These tools are designed to lower the barrier to entry for a public that remains digitally uneven. The effort also complements the “Glass Account” initiative, which offers a public window into government expenditures.

Mongolia’s move fits into a wider global pattern. Dozens of countries from South Korea to Brazil have dabbled with participatory budgeting. In theory, these exercises give ordinary people a say in how public funds are spent. In practice, they often falter. 

Digital tools surely can generate engagement but rarely come with mechanisms to guarantee follow-through. Without transparency on trade-offs and real institutional teeth, consultation efforts risk becoming little more than theater.

Mongolia has been down this road before. It joined the Open Government Partnership in 2013, pledging to incorporate citizen feedback into budget planning. Yet actual reforms lagged, and public trust has remained fragile.

So what’s different this time? Zandanshatar himself. Unlike many predecessors, he has shown a capacity to turn civic engagement into political outcomes. His earlier reforms weren’t perfect, but they weren’t performative either. That said, the real test is still ahead. Gathering opinions is easy. Acting on them, especially when they clash with entrenched interests, is where most initiatives falter.

The political stakes are high. Mr. Zandanshatar became prime minister only in June 2025, following Oyun-Erdene’s abrupt resignation. He is now expected to formally assume the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) chairmanship later this year—a transition that, while largely uncontested, still requires formal endorsement at the upcoming party’s national conference. 

That vote is expected to be a formality. But anything short of near-unanimous backing could undercut his authority just as he seeks to consolidate control. In that context, the 2026 budget consultation is more than a gesture of transparency. It doubles as a litmus test of his political capital, especially within a party that prizes discipline and cohesion. A credible public engagement process would bolster his standing. A botched or hollow one could leave him vulnerable to internal grumbling.

Mongolia doesn’t lack public opinion. What it needs now is political will. If this budget consultation becomes a turning point, it could lay the groundwork for more responsive governance. If not, it risks being remembered as a slick campaign in democratic packaging.