Citizens' Assembly

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A citizens' assembly is an assembly of citizens , usually at the local level, to make political decisions. Historically, at the end of the 18th century in France , these also marked a questioning of the existing feudal rule .

history

Citizens' assemblies were founded in free imperial cities, such as B. 1410 in Hamburg or shortly before in Lübeck, in order to enforce the interests of the citizens against the city councils.

French Revolution

In the French Revolution in 1789, local citizens' assemblies questioned the existing law and demanded a. the free election of treasurers and judges by the people: “By means of its 'citizens' assembly 'the people demanded (I [ PA Kropotkin ] quote literally) measures,' around the political equality of the citizens and their influence in the elections of the administrators of the common property and to secure their judges, who should be freely chosen '. "

American Revolution

Shortly thereafter, these developments also led to the formation of citizens' assemblies in the United States, for example in 1793, when Alexander Hamilton organized such assemblies in the dispute over the support of the French Republic against British interests , which was answered by the opposing Republicans with similar events. Shortly thereafter, the Federalist Party and the Democratic Republican Party emerged from these developments , both with direct citizen participation. These parties subsequently formed the basis for the development of the American party system .

Currently in Germany

Citizens' assemblies are regulated differently in the individual federal states. The meetings take place in a politically ordered manner, such as B. the peasant bill in Lower Saxony . But it can also come from the citizens themselves to organize and z. B. to found a citizens' initiative .

countries

Bavaria

In Bavaria the first mayor has to convene a citizens' meeting once a year, and more often if requested by the municipal council. (Art. 18 GO) The first mayor has to convene an additional citizens' meeting once a year within three months if this is at least 2.5%. H. of the community citizens (community> 10,000 inhabitants) - 5% of the community citizens apply in writing to the community with an agenda . In this case, however, this can only be requested once a year. The period of three months rests during the gem. Article 32, Paragraph 4, Clause 1 of the GO.

The time and place of the citizens 'meeting according to Art. 18 Para. 1 GO must be announced in accordance with the customary local practice, stating the agenda no later than the third day before the citizens' meeting; Exceptions require the approval of the municipal council.

The meeting is chaired by the first mayor or a representative appointed by him.

The purpose of the citizens' meeting is the discussion of communal matters, the influence of the citizens living in the city on and their say in decisions of the city, as well as the mutual information of citizens and administration.

It is the task of the citizens' assembly to discuss motions, inquiries, concerns or suggestions in municipal matters that extend to its own sphere of activity (Art. 7 GO) as well as to the assigned sphere of activity (Art. 8 GO).

The citizens' assembly is primarily a platform for the citizens to give them the opportunity to exchange views on applications, inquiries, concerns and suggestions or to discuss local problems.

Motions are to be decided by majority vote of the citizens' assembly and, if decided, to be addressed to the city council as recommendations.

Eligible are community citizens in accordance with Art. 15 Para. 2 GO who are Germans or citizens of the other member states of the European Union (Union citizens) and have the right to vote in the community, furthermore all community members (community residents), i.e. minors and not eligible to vote Foreigners, further tradespeople and freelancers who are community citizens of other communities and have their business or their professional establishment in the community. Also eligible to participate are non-residents (not community residents) with real estate or real estate in the community, representatives of other institutions or organizations (e.g. associations, parents 'councils, citizens' groups) in the community or representatives of legal persons from the community who do not work in their own name participate on behalf of or for the institution or organization or legal person. Eligible are civil servants and employees of the community, community councils and former community councilors, former mayors and honorary citizens of the community, representatives of the legal supervisory authority by virtue of its right to information (Art. 111 GO), representatives of the press and media.

Entitled community citizens who have the right to vote in community council elections, as well as community members (community residents) are entitled to speak and have a say. They are allowed to deliberate in public (discussion). Members of the community (community residents) who are not Germans or Union citizens, as well as non-community citizens and non-community members (e.g. residents of neighboring communities, locally responsible elected officials) can receive the right to speak and have a say at the request of a community citizen and a majority resolution of the citizens' assembly. The civil right of consultation in the citizens' assembly can only be exercised personally, as it is an organ-related, highly personal right. Legal representation (e.g. by a neighbor or a lawyer) is excluded.

Eligible to apply are community citizens who have the right to participate in community council elections, as well as community members (community residents). Legal persons as well as their organs, authorized representatives or speakers are excluded from the right to apply

Eligible to vote are community citizens who have the right to participate in community elections. Community residents who are community citizens of other communities are only entitled to vote in the community in which they have their main residence and thus their right to vote. Legal persons, as well as their organs, agents or speakers are excluded from the right to vote.

Resolutions of the citizens 'meeting on motions are not directly applicable decisions, but recommendations of the citizens' meeting to the municipal council. These are to be dealt with within a period of three months by the municipal council or the responsible, decision-making committee. The period of three months rests during the gem. Article 32, Paragraph 4, Clause 1 of the GO.

Applications may only deal with communal matters that extend to one's own sphere of activity (Art. 7 GO) as well as to the assigned sphere of activity (Art. 8 GO).

So far, unique in Germany is the statute on the holding of citizens 'assemblies and district citizens' assemblies of the city of Starnberg. The city council of the city of Starnberg had decided on these citizens 'assembly statutes in 2019 by a majority against the will of the then incumbent first mayor, so that citizens' meetings of the city no longer degenerate into self-expression events of the first mayor. However, due to the strong position of the first mayor in Bavaria, the agenda and procedure of the citizens 'assembly could only be expressed as a recommendation in this citizens' assembly statute, which can be used as a model citizenship assembly statute for cities and municipalities throughout Bavaria.

Mobile citizens' assemblies are a special feature. They are an additional offer in which different parts of the city can be explored four to five times a year by bicycle under the direction of the mayor. On site, city leaders and administrative staff present current projects and plans to interested citizens. The city of Nuremberg was awarded the German Bicycle Prize in 2008 for this .

Rhineland-Palatinate

In Rhineland-Palatinate, there is a regulation that a citizens' meeting takes place at least once a year at community and association level. There every citizen has the right to speak and the mayor has to answer questions.

In building law, the residents concerned are heard in partial citizens' assemblies on the planned measures affecting development plans. Citizens there have the right to object and make proposals, which the relevant political body (municipality or city ​​council ) must deal with.

Cities

Bonn

The federal city of Bonn provides information in citizens 'assemblies about more important projects, measures and solutions - “The citizens' assembly represents an important opportunity for citizens to participate . The immediate goal is to improve communication and promote transparency in public matters. In this respect, the discursive assembly contributes to conflict prevention in the medium term. "

subjects

Typical topics for the residents '/ citizens' assemblies are:

  • Land use planning
  • School development planning
  • Traffic planning
  • Sports development planning
  • Elderly planning

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the municipal assembly is a political body that is open to all voters or residents and is part of the direct democratic culture and constitutions of the cantons and the country.

Great Britain

In Great Britain , on the occasion of the disagreement over the Brexit debate in January 2019, Labor MEP Stella Creasy proposed that a citizens' assembly with 250 members should work out a new proposal over ten weeks.

to form

Solved citizens' meeting

A drawn citizens ' meeting is a body of citizens drawn at random. The lottery process determines a certain number of members for a citizens' meeting by random selection, possibly in several rounds and stages. A citizens' meeting is supposed to bring people with different opinions together. The individual participants can be left, right, progressive, conservative, ... politically oriented in order to supplement a representative democracy with the results of the assembly.

A public meeting by draw meets over a longer period of time to discuss various aspects with experts and other participants and to collect results.

Examples of application of the citizens' meeting

Ancient Greece

In the heyday of classical Attic democracy , around 500 years before Christ, 500 men over 30 years of age were drawn every year for the 500-person boulé. This boulé was supposed to prepare all bills for the discussion of the popular assemblies in a council. These 500 agreements also negotiated with foreign governments, with 50 men always forming the government as top officials ( Prytanen ) for a tenth of the year . Every day the lot determined a pry-aunt to be the president / board of the assembly. The prytant who was drawn also held the key to the treasury for a day.

In Ireland

Irish citizens came together for a meeting on same-sex marriage and were asked to decide whether to introduce it. This assembly, through its recommendation to the government, created a basis for the Irish to introduce gay marriage through a referendum.

In Germany

In some municipalities, drawn citizens' committees are convened, e.g. B. Solve wind power conflicts.

Nationwide, the first drawn citizens ' meeting took place as a Citizens' Council Democracy in 2019 .

In citizen participation

In the process of so-called deliberative or participatory democracy , the drawn citizens' meeting is an important instrument for citizen participation .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jörg Berlin: Citizen Freedom Instead of Ratsregiiment - The Mini-Festival of Civil Freedom and the Struggle for Democracy in Hamburg around 1700 . Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2012, ISBN 978-3-8482-2447-0 , Political Self-Confidence and Representative Bodies of the Hamburgers, p. 31 ( digitized version [accessed on November 16, 2019]).
  2. ↑ Pyotr Alexejewitsch Kropotkin : The Great French Revolution 1789-1793, Volume I - Chapter 15. The cities in the Gutenberg-DE project
  3. ↑ Art. 18 GO
  4. ↑ Public participation (on bonn.de)
  5. ↑ Bonn participates - the participation portal (on bonn.de) →  Bonn participates ! The portal for citizen participation in Bonn (bonn-macht-mit.de)
  6. ↑ Spiegel.de: brexit-initiativen-seven-ideas-zur-loesung-des-dilemmas , January 28, 2019, accessed January 28, 2019
  7. ↑ Fresh cell treatment for democracy. In: sueddeutsche.de. Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH, September 13, 2019, accessed on March 22, 2020 .
  8. ↑ Power rooms of democracy. In: sueddeutsche.de. Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH, September 28, 2019, accessed on March 22, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Dr. Antoine Vergne, Anna Renkamp, ​​André Zimmermann: Citizen participation with random selection . Ed .: Alliance Diverse Democracy. Bertelsmann Stiftung, October 17, 2017, p. 8 ( bertelsmann-stiftung.de [PDF]).
  10. ↑ Bayerischer Rundfunk: Ireland: Democracy Experiment in the Lottery
  11. ↑ Ulrich Rüttgers: "Citizen participation must become everyday action". Citizen participation from the mayor's point of view - conversation with Matthias Klopfer . In: collaborate 02/2016. Foundation Employment , 2016, pp. 1–2 , accessed on June 17, 2019 . PDF (168 kB) . Video (full interview)