Permanent citizens' assembly in Aachen

30. March 2022

Aachen was the first German municipality to adopt a permanent citizens' assembly. This means that, unlike other citizens' assemblies, this assembly has a legal basis and a permanent organisational structure. On 30 March 2022, the Aachen city council decided accordingly. The model is the citizens' dialogue in the nearby German-speaking Community (DG) of East Belgium.

The randomly selected citizens' dialogue across the German-Belgian border has already existed since 2019 and enjoys a great deal of independence. The topics can be determined just as independently as the organisation of the meetings of the citizens drawn for this purpose. This and the procedure for dealing with the recommendations of the citizens' assemblies are regulated by law.

Citizens' assembly discusses municipal policy issues

The situation is similar in Aachen. The citizens' assembly there is a body set up for a limited period of time to deliberate on a specific municipal policy issue. The 56 members will be randomly selected from the register of residents. The assembly deliberates on special issues of city-wide importance.

The topics of the citizens' assembly can be submitted in various ways. Proposals can be submitted

by residents with at least 125 votes
by a previous citizens' assembly
by the council parliamentary groups
by departments of the city administration

The proposals are first discussed in the Citizens' Assembly's Supporting Body. The recommendation of this body is brought to the Citizens' Forum for deliberation. Following the consultation, the Citizens' Forum determines the topic of the Citizens' Assembly.

Selection of topics by monitoring committee

The Citizens' Forum consists of ten councillors and seven knowledgeable citizens as well as two further advisory members of the Senior Citizens' and Integration Council. It already deals with citizens' motions addressed to the Aachen City Council or one of its specialised committees or to the Citizens' Forum itself. Furthermore, the Citizens' Forum informs about new significant municipal projects and plans.

The Supporting Committee prepares the selection of topics for the citizens' assembly and chooses the experts and moderators. It determines the procedure and content, accompanies the citizens' assembly and advises on the implementation of the recommendations. The committee is made up of participants from previous citizens' assemblies. Two members from the Citizens' Dialogue and Administrative Management department are available on an advisory and ongoing basis, plus others from the relevant specialist administration if required.

Citizens‘ Secretariat supports Citizens’ Assembly

The result of the citizens' assembly's deliberations is documented in a citizens' report and submitted to the city council for discussion and decision.

There is an office in the administration to support and accompany the citizens' assembly. This Citizens' Secretariat is also the contact point for all questions concerning the citizens' assembly. The Citizens' Secretariat also monitors the independence of the procedure and ensures the continuity of the citizens' assembly. It ensures the quality and implementation of the results and is responsible for the continuous improvement of the processes.

Concept result of a working group

The concept was developed in a working group consisting of members of the initiative "Bürgerrat für Aachen" (Citizens' Assembly for Aachen), the Citizens' Forum, the city's department for citizens' dialogue and administrative management, as well as the council's parliamentary groups.

Gereon Hermens and Frank Sukkau from the initiative "Bürgerrat für Aachen" think it is important to design the sortition process for the future Citizens' Council in such a way that all residents of Aachen feel represented. Hermens and Sukkau note an increasing disenchantment with politics among the population. Both see the Citizens' Assembly as an opportunity to ensure more participation on a broad level. The Citizens' Assembly initiative had initiated the debate on the use of loose democracy in Aachen back in 2020.

Aachen Citizens' Forum agrees

The Aachen Citizens' Forum had approved the proposal of the Citizens' Assembly Working Group on 22 February 2022. "We are all very pleased that the Citizens' Assembly is now being launched. We experience every day how important a functioning exchange between administration, politics and society is. The Citizens' Assembly will also discuss complex issues broadly and deeply, bringing entirely new perspectives to the discussion. More participation is a gain for all of us," says Mathias Dopatka, Chair of the Citizens' Forum.

"The establishment of a citizens' assembly is a stroke of luck for Aachen, because it allows us to experience the views of people in the most diverse life situations on the major issues of our city, gives them time and space to develop ideas together and the results are directly incorporated into the further development of our city," said Dana Duikers, Head of Department for Citizens' Dialogue and Administrative Management, at the presentation of the concept on 11 February 2022.

The political representatives also praised the good and always solution-oriented cooperation, which could serve as a model for other cities. In a pilot phase, the first two citizens' assemblies will be evaluated and adapted by scientific monitoring.

Citizens' dialogue in East Belgium

In East Belgium, the parliament of the autonomous German-speaking Community had regulated by law in 2019 how the democracy instrument should be designed there. As a rule, the decisions of the citizens' assembly are made by consensus.

A citizens' council meets annually to determine the topics to be discussed at citizens' assemblies over the course of the next twelve months. In selecting the topics, the citizens' council can draw on proposals submitted to it either by at least two of its members, by a parliamentary group, by the government or by citizens. The citizens‘ assembly itself decides on the wording of the question and the selection of the experts to be heard. It can also demand further working sessions and organise the collection of further information by the members of the citizens’ assembly.

Handling of recommendations regulated

The law also regulates the handling of recommendations made by Citizens' Assemblies in Parliament. For example, all members of the assembly are invited to present their proposals and to discuss the response of the relevant parliamentary committee.

The Citizens' Council takes over the follow-up of the recommendations, which are to be implemented on the basis of the committee's opinion. To this end, the permanent secretariat submits reports on the status of implementation of the recommendations at regular intervals. If it deems it necessary, the Citizens' Council informs the members of the Citizens' Assembly concerned of this state of affairs. Parliament's rules of procedure require the government to report on the status of implementation of citizens' recommendations.

Six citizens' assemblies so far

Within one year after the meeting to discuss the parliamentary statement on the recommendations of the citizens' assembly, another public meeting of the relevant parliamentary committee is held to present and discuss the state of implementation. All members of the Citizens' Assembly concerned are also invited to this. If necessary, additional meetings can be arranged to follow up on the further implementation of the recommendations.

Due to COVID-19, fewer citizens' assemblies than planned have taken place since the establishment of the East Belgium Citizens' Dialogue. So far, randomly selected citizens have deliberated on the topics of care, inclusive education, housing, digital skills, immigrant integration and student competences.