-> In the past, politics faced problems with controversies over technologies such as nuclear energy or, later on, biotechnology. -> Technology controversies usually do not follow the traditional political logic of ‘left’ and ‘right’. They often arise over the acceptability of risks or over ethical concerns raised by technological innovation. -> Currently, controversies over new technologies take place not so much in the public but amongst expert panels and scientific communities. Nanotechnology or biomedicine are relevant examples. -> To ‘democratise’ the way we deal with new technologies, politics should provide appropriate deliberation and public dialogue formats.