Group of participants

Eastern Europe and the Balkan – Pioneers for more Participation

National ministry officials and representatives from civil society out of nine countries, Albania, Armenia, Czechia, Greece, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey and UK, came together in a two-day workshop in Strasbourg, to learn about the functioning and concrete method of citizens’ assemblies. The workshop “Citizens’ Assemblies – how to start?” was organised by the Council of Europe and Bertelsmann Stiftung. The focus of the capacity-building was on conveying quality principles of citizens’ assemblies, practical examples and the beginnings of a specific project plan

Contact persons

Foto Anna Renkamp
Anna Renkamp
Senior Project Manager
Foto Christian Huesmann
Dr. Christian Huesmann
Senior Project Manager

Participants of the workshop are pioneers for citizens’ assemblies in their countries

The workshop in Strasbourg brought together actors from civil society and public administration on a national level. Over a span of two days, the participants broadened their knowledge of deliberative democracies and citizens’ assemblies together with experts. They developed ideas for the implementation of their own projects in the format of citizens’ assemblies.

Thereby, the participants learned about the benefits and challenges of citizens’ assemblies as well as quality principles for the effective and efficient implementation of citizens’ assemblies. This was supported by presentations from experts from several European countries. The workshop was designed interactively and focused on practical application. As such, they began with a country-specific project planning

One needs to trust the deliberative process, but the process needs to be very good – transparent, neutral and inclusive. Citizens’ assemblies have to be very well designed, otherwise one should let it be.

Timo Peters, State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Integrate citizens more closely, more reliably, and more transparently – Diverse reasons for citizen participation

The participants from nine different countries delved into the contents of the workshop – from the planning and structure of citizens’ assemblies to the implementation thereof based on established quality principles. Be it infrastructure, disinformation, reform of the health sector or electoral reform – the national topics for citizens’ assemblies are plentiful. In small groups the participants worked on concrete projects and thus, began with the planning of citizens’ assemblies on a national level.

Elections alone are not enough for people. Everyone who thinks democracies are good, should advocate for citizen participation.

Anna Renkamp, Senior Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Not only the topics being discussed were various, also the motivations for more participatory projects were diverse: Some wanted to achieve better policy results or strengthen the trust in politics; while others hope to reinforce fragile democracies through more deliberation and fight against corruption and misuse of power through more transparency and integration of citizens in the decision-making process. Equally various are the challenges such innovative projects are met with on-site: Be it weak or fragile democracies, missing political support or lack of resources. Nevertheless, there’s a lot of potential and motivation to advance and realise deliberative processes. It became clear that the participants of the workshop will return as multipliers to their countries, equipped with the necessary knowledge about citizens’ assemblies.

We can use the knowledge and competences gained here to initiate concrete projects and a change in our national ministries.

Participant of the capacity-building workshop in Strasbourg

About the Project: “Citizens’ Assemblies – how to start?” Citizens’ Assemblies – inclusive, deliberative and effective

Citizens’ Assemblies are a form of citizen participation, in which citizens are selected randomly to bring together a diverse group. The goal of citizens’ assemblies is that citizens are engaged in an open, structured and informed deliberation in the political decision-making process.

The workshop, which was organised together with the Council of Europe, aimed at introducing the method “citizens’ assemblies” to the participants and thus advance the establishment thereof in the various countries.