French President Emmanuel Macron has dared to do something new. 150 randomly selected citizens met regularly over a period of a few months in a Citizens’ Assembly on the topic of climate change. They developed 149 proposals on how France could reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while guaranteeing social justice. Much of this has now become law.
However, there was also criticism: Some participants were expecting more, and it seems the general public’s expectations were, in part, also higher. Nonetheless, this French Citizens’ Assembly has made France a pioneer of innovative and effective citizen participation.
