How citizen participation strengthens a vibrant democracy

Citizen participation refers to the active participation of citizens in political and social affairs. It is a complementary format to representative democracy that aims to involve more people in decision-making processes and make their voices heard on issues that affect their lives.

Citizen participation can take place at various political levels, whether municipal, regional, national, or even cross-border. At the international level, citizen participation is defined differently from country to country. Within the EU, we distinguish between different forms of citizen participation (see question: “What forms of citizen participation exist”?)

1. Citizens’ councils: Representative groups of citizens are selected at random and develop recommendations on specific topics. The aim is to reach out to those who have previously not been involved in social and political activities. In addition to marginalized groups, these are often people who do not feel addressed by traditional offerings. For this purpose, procedures can also be used in which citizens are visited at home.
2. Public consultations: Citizens have the opportunity to contribute their opinions and suggestions on specific topics or projects, for example, in regard to the municipality or city.
3. Citizens’ referendums: Citizens' referendums take place at the municipal level and allow residents to decide on local issues such as construction or infrastructure projects. Referendums, on the other hand, refer to the state or federal level and usually concern fundamental political issues such as environmental and energy policy, financial issues, health policy, or education issues.
4. Citizens’ forums and workshops: Events are organised to facilitate an open dialogue between citizens and decision-makers.
5. Citizens' initiatives and petitions: Citizens can submit their own proposals or concerns about political procedures or decisions and gather support through signatures from other people.
6. Online participation: Digital platforms enable citizens to submit and discuss their opinions and proposals online.

Citizen participation helps to involve more people in political decisions that consider their views and ideas. This increases the acceptance of these decisions, creates trust in democratic processes and reinforces a sense of community. Citizen participation is professionally accompanied: Participants receive factual information and are supported in their discussions by neutral moderators.