In recent years, governments at all levels have involved citizens more frequently in participatory processes: in a number of EU countries, regions and cities, various approaches towards participatory democracy have even become a matter of routine, complementing the work of representative parliaments, assemblies and councils. At EU level, citizens’ dialogues on Europe and its future have also become a tool used by EU institutions to listen to citizens' ideas. After the European elections, and following the recent launch of a "Conference on the Future of Europe" by the president-elect Ursula von der Leyen, this workshop took the discussion further, looking at ways to better engage citizens in EU policy-making beyond elections.
Representatives of four EU institutions held discussions with more than 100 participants on future prospects for citizens' consultations, and how participatory democracy can complement representative democracy.
Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President of the European Committee of the Regions, said that citizens' consultations should be more than just a listening exercise: they must be permanent and continuous in order to have an impact on EU decisions, and should be organised in conjunction with those closest to the people, i.e. civil society and local and regional politicians. He also drew attention to the work undertaken by the CoR to compile the views of regional politicians, practitioners and academics into a compendium on citizen engagement.
Luca Jahier, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, saw the conference as an opportunity to boost public engagement in the EU political process and to build a positive narrative around Europe. He also highlighted the risk of raising expectations that might not be met, and the confusion that could result from organising too many consultation processes in parallel.
Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Director-General for Communication at the European Commission, pointed out that (participatory) democracy was at the heart of the new Commission, with a Vice-President dedicated to Democracy for the first time. Through the Conference on the Future of Europe, the European Commission aimed to empower people through local, bottom-up and inclusive consultations reaching beyond the usual suspects.
Gabriele Bischoff, member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of its Committee on Constitutional Affairs, concluded by highlighting the importance of explaining the purpose and outcomes of the conference, and of following up on the results of citizens' consultations, in order to avoid disappointment among the people who had taken part in the consultations.
During this fruitful debate, panellists agreed to work together in an inter-institutional approach, to communicate better about the EU and to dedicate enough time and resources to make this conference a success.
