Citizens' jury with referendum in Osterburg
The city of Osterburg in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt is making history: it is the first municipality in Germany to give the population the opportunity to decide on climate protection measures themselves in a citizens' jury followed by a referendum. As part of the model project ‘Klima trifft Kommune' (Climate Meets Municipality), the city's cycle traffic planning is being put to the vote - in a process that takes citizen participation and direct democracy to a new level.
The city council approved the procedure by a large majority (12 votes in favour, 5 abstentions) on 17 September 2024. The 30 members of the Citizens' Jury will be randomly selected from the population. Following hearings with experts and extensive discussions in up to six meetings, the mini-public will then develop independent solutions for transport planning in the city of Osterburg. Whether these are implemented will ultimately be decided by the entire city in a referendum. All citizens are called upon to vote on the Citizens' Jury's recommendations at the ballot box. The result is binding.
Model project for a decision for society as a whole
‘With this project, we are creating a nationwide model for how difficult political issues, such as climate protection, can be decided by society as a whole,’ explains Steffen Krenzer, Head of Democracy and Climate at Mehr Demokratie. ‘It's about enabling climate protection that is actively shaped by the people. Although many people want more climate protection in principle, they are dissatisfied with the current political decision-making processes. This is where we come in: The result of the referendum is binding. We are delighted that Osterburg is the first local authority to place the necessary trust in its citizens. This is an important signal for democracy.’
Nico Schulz, Mayor of Osterburg (Altmark), also emphasises the importance of the project: ‘Two years ago, we implemented Saxony-Anhalt's first mini-public. It developed important cornerstones for a climate protection concept. The successful participation of our citizens has aroused my interest in further citizens' jurys on specific issues.
‘Achieving the greatest possible participation of citizens'
The city is now working on a cycle path and mobility concept. We want to incorporate a comprehensive opinion of the residents into this concept once again. One thing we learnt from the first Citizens' Jury is that good professional support is required. I am therefore delighted that the organisations Mehr Demokratie and BürgerBegehren Klimaschutz have offered us this professional support as part of the ‘Klima trifft Kommune’ project. This will be the first referendum that has ever taken place in Osterburg. If it goes well, this could motivate the town's politicians to organise further referendums in the future in order to achieve the greatest possible level of citizen participation.’
What is special about this procedure: Unlike previous citizens' assemblies in Germany, the recommendations are not just passed on to the city council - the entire municipality will vote on some of the results.
Orientation towards successful examples from abroad
‘We are taking inspiration from successful examples from abroad,’ explains project manager Michael Efler from BürgerBegehren Klimaschutz. ‘In Ireland, the interplay of citizens' assembly and national referendum has been successfully practised for several years. Citizens there usually follow the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly.’
The Osterburg Citizens' Jury is due to start in spring 2025. Every resident of the city has the chance to be randomly selected. Participation is voluntary.
Looking to the future
The demands on local authorities in the area of climate protection are becoming ever greater. The climate targets set by the federal government, federal states and local authorities themselves require great efforts from politicians and administrators, but also from citizens. The issue has the potential to put a strain not only on municipal budgets and personnel capacities, but also on the political mood in the municipality. ‘Klima trifft Kommune’ meets the challenges with democratic innovation.
‘Our aim is for other municipalities to follow Osterburg's example,’ says Efler. ‘They could act as role models in dealing with the climate crisis and shaping the future together.’
Flensburg and Pinneberg are also taking part
On 1 October 2024, the main committee of the Flensburg City Council also decided to take part in the ‘Klima trifft Kommune’ project: Flensburg decides to implement a citizens' assembly followed by a referendum. On 10 October 2024, the city council of Pinnberg also voted in favour of participating: Pinneberg is the third model municipality
Other interested municipalities and citizens can find more information at www.klimatrifftkommune.de. ‘Klima trifft Kommune’ is a joint project by BürgerBegehren Klimaschutz and Mehr Demokratie. The project is funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the German Postcode Lottery.