A missed opportunity for democracy

24. October 2024

Deutscher Bundestag / Mehr Demokratie / Robert Boden

In Germany, there will be no further citizens' assembly on behalf of the Bundestag before the federal election in autumn 2025. This has now been announced by the governing factions of SPD, Greens and FDP.

The NGO Mehr Demokratie has criticised the fact that two opportunities have been missed here. On the one hand, another practical example could have further strengthened the role of citizens‘ assemblies in parliamentary democracy. On the other hand, a citizens' assembly in combination with a scientific commission is the right instrument for the long overdue investigation into the coronavirus pandemic.

Citizens' assembly plans of the federal government

In April 2024, SPD parliamentary faction leader Rolf Mützenich proposed the establishment of a citizens' assembly and a federal-state commission with representatives from politics, science and administration to come to terms with the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the mini-public should then be incorporated into the work of a new commission to be created, which should also include representatives from the federal states and local authorities. 'The commission should deliberately go beyond the legislative period and link the pandemic review with social realities and challenges at the regional, national and European level over a period of about four years,' said Mützenich.

According to the report, the Greens and the FDP were also open to the idea. ‘For us Greens, it is crucial that we quickly clarify, and if possible in consensus with the other democratic factions, how we can come to terms with the COVID-19 period,’ said the First Parliamentary Secretary of the Greens, Irene Mihalic, to the newspaper. Several instruments are conceivable for this, she said, including a parliamentary commission of inquiry and the idea of a citizens‘ assembly.

’Debate without frothing at the mouth"

The FDP also approved of the idea of a citizens‘ assembly, but they stuck to their desire to set up a commission of inquiry. This is the “gold standard for independent experts to address highly complex legal and scientific issues,” said the parliamentary managing director and health expert of the FDP parliamentary group, Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus. However, she said her party was open to “further bodies such as a citizens” assembly’.

‘A citizens‘ assembly and a new commission to be created offer the chance to hold these debates without froth at the mouth,’ SPD parliamentary group managing director Katja Mast said. In this way, the rifts of the pandemic could be overcome. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) welcomed the proposal to review the COVID-19 policy through a study commission or a citizens' assembly. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) also spoke out in favour of having the pandemic reviewed by mini-publics in order to draw the right conclusions.

Ultimately, however, the coalition was unable to agree on how to review the pandemic policy. So there is no citizens' assembly on the topic either.

‘This is the wrong signal’

‘In times of dwindling trust in politics, this is the wrong signal,‘ said Claudine Nierth, spokesperson of the federal board of Mehr Demokratie. “During the COVID-19 period, trust was gambled away with many people. A citizens” assembly would be a good opportunity to constructively examine the pandemic and to involve not only experts but also citizens,’ says Nierth. Mini-publics on COVID-19 policy had been held in Baden-Württemberg, Saxony and Thuringia during the pandemic.

The experiences from the first citizens’ assembly of the Bundestag on the topic of ‘Nutrition in Transition’ show that the instrument has proven itself in practice. The evaluation report, which was presented by the Institute for Democracy and Participation Research (IDPF) at the University of Wuppertal and the opinion research and consulting institute Verian, found that the project was ‘successful in the sense of the resolution establishing it,’ in which the Bundestag set out guidelines for the implementation of the Citizens' Assembly. Four out of five citizens surveyed for the evaluation also supported the establishment of the citizens' assembly.

Worthy handling of citizens’ assembly on nutrition

However, the way in which the recommendations are dealt with is also important for the success of a mini-public. In the case of the Citizens’ Assembly on Nutrition, this is being done in a very dignified manner: ‘Instead of being filed away, the recommendations are being taken out and discussed further in the Committee on Nutrition and Agriculture in expert talks. What is important now is that words are followed by action,’ Nierth continued. Former participants in the Citizens' Assembly on Nutrition are always present, he said. In addition to the expert discussions, an expert opinion by the Scientific Service of the Bundestag has now been published that examines the legislative competence of the Bundestag with regard to free daycare and school meals.

There are various procedures for organising citizens‘ assemblies and determining the topics discussed there. At the national level, mini-publics are usually set up by a government or, as in France, by the president. In Germany, the Foreign and Research Ministries had already launched their own citizens‘ assemblies on the future of Europe, citizen participation in research, and on sustainable transport. The variant of the Bundestag setting up a citizens’ assembly is the exception internationally.

Independent procedure in East Belgium

In the German-speaking community of East Belgium, the organisation is in the hands of a citizens' council randomly selected for the purpose. The citizens‘ dialogue, consisting of a citizens’ assembly and a citizens' council, was introduced in 2019 and enjoys a great deal. The topics can be set just as independently as the organisation of the citizens' assemblies. This and the procedure for dealing with the recommendations of the mini-publics are prescribed by law. This makes the Citizens’ Dialogue a global pioneer and role model that many visitors have already come to see in order to emulate.

One such imitator is the city of Aachen, whose city council decided in 2022 to introduce a permanent citizens‘ assembly based on the model in East Belgium. As in East Belgium, all residents there can submit proposals for topics. A randomly selected monitoring committee reviews the proposals and presents a decision proposal to the city council committee called the “Citizens” Forum’. The city of Lüneburg wants to proceed in a similar way from 2025.

Setting the agenda through a petition

In Constance, 800 residents can apply for a citizens‘ jury to be held by collecting signatures. The municipal council formally decides on the implementation and, like any other municipal council, can itself set up citizens' assemblies.

In the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, proposed topics from the population that are supported by at least 1,000 signatures are binding. If this hurdle is cleared, the state government is obliged to convene a citizens‘ assembly on the desired topic. In addition, a citizens’ assembly can be decided by the state government or the state parliament. The legal basis here is a guideline issued by the Vorarlberg state government for convening and conducting mini-publics. The state constitution requires the state to promote citizen participation.

Reform agreed in Baden-Württemberg

In the German state of Baden-Württemberg, the Greens and the CDU had agreed in their coalition agreement in 2021 to expand the popular petition at the state level. So far, such a petition has only allowed parliament to address an issue. The expansion should make it possible, as in Vorarlberg, to hold a citizens' forum at the state parliament with randomly selected citizens. A popular petition must be signed by at least 0.5 per cent of those eligible to vote. That would be around 38,400 signatures.