Uncertain future for mini-publics in Vorarlberg
Citizens' assemblies will probably have a harder time in Vorarlberg in future. The Office for Voluntary Engagement and Participation (FEB), which has supported and organised many mini-publics in the past, will be dissolved in mid-2025. In view of current developments, critics are calling it a ‘dismantling’.
The decision comes just a few months after the change in government in the Austrian state - from a coalition between the conservative ÖVP and the Greens to an alliance between the ÖVP and the far-right FPÖ. The Vorarlberg citizens‘ assembly model is also particularly well known because mini-publics can be initiated not only by politicians, but also directly by the population with 1,000 signatures - a right of participation that is almost unique in Europe.
Just how effective mini-publics can be was demonstrated by the Citizens’ Assembly on Asylum in 2015: it strengthened the networking of key players and led to a broad-based communication strategy that made a significant contribution to reducing fears among the population.
Pioneering role with international appeal
Whether from Japan, Ukraine or Germany - delegations from all over the world came to Vorarlberg to find out about the culture of participation and democracy in practice. The Citizens' Assembly attracted particular interest: 12 to 16 randomly selected people spend a weekend drawing up recommendations on current social issues. The results are handed over to politicians, presented to the public and put up for discussion.
Since 2006, over 45 mini-publics have been organised in Vorarlberg at municipal, regional and provincial level. They complement the existing political structures and create space for constructive dialogue between the population and politicians. Until now, the FEB has been responsible for the organisation and implementation.
One milestone was the inclusion of the participation instrument in the state constitution in 2013. Since then, a binding guideline has regulated the quality and process - and opened the door for civil society initiatives: In Vorarlberg, not only politicians but also the population itself can convene a citizens' assembly. This requires 1,000 signatures. This unique right of participation has become an international model - for example in Gdansk and Constance. Whether and how the model will be continued in the future is currently unclear.
What has happened?
According to a press release from the state of Vorarlberg, the employees of the FEB spent around two months working on a ‘future reorganisation and topic positioning’ ‘in light of the consolidation efforts’. The aim was to free up resources in order to ‘make them available for future-relevant topics’. Existing content and areas of responsibility are to be transferred to thematically related organisational units within the state administration by mid-2025.
The official announcement does not explicitly mention the dissolution of the office, but the local press did. Criticism was not long in coming: the Green Party spoke of a ‘dismantling’ of the office and described the move as a ‘slap in the face for the associations’.
What will happen with citizen participation?
An enquiry by ORF revealed that citizens' assemblies are to continue to take place in Vorarlberg. A date for the next mini-public has not yet been set.
According to the press release, participation competence is to be merged with administrative development in future. What this means in concrete terms remains unclear. At the end of the press release, it says: ‘The planned merger will build on the valuable work and make the existing wealth of knowledge even more useful for the state administration, for example in terms of reducing bureaucracy.’ According to the statement, there will be no redundancies: ‘The employees will continue to fulfil their tasks with commitment in accordance with the reassignments.’
The Office for Volunteering and Participation is the first office of the Vorarlberg state administration to be closed as part of the consolidation efforts.
The FEB - institution with history
The origins of the FEB date back to 1992, when the Vorarlberg state government founded the Environmental Information Service (UID). At the end of 1999, this became the Office for Future Issues (ZuB), which was finally renamed FEB in 2020 due to the increasing importance of citizen participation and volunteering.
Over the years, the FEB has played a key role in shaping the culture of participation in Vorarlberg. It has established citizen participation as an integral part of political practice, acted as a catalyst for social innovation and strengthened social cohesion - both through citizen participation and by promoting volunteering.
With consistent method development and practical implementation, the FEB has made Vorarlberg a model region for participation - and has made a name for itself internationally.