Citizens’ assembly instead of Senate
For years, various political parties in Belgium have been calling for the abolition of the Senate. They consider the institution to be superfluous and see its abolition as a way of saving money. In March 2026, the Senate paved the way for its own dissolution. The organisation G1000 is calling for the Senate to be replaced by a permanent Citizens’ Assembly.
The Belgian Senate is the upper house of the Federal Parliament. Alongside it is the lower house, the Chamber of Representatives. Together with the Chamber and the King, the Senate can pass laws. It also acts as a constitutional authority within Belgium’s political system. Following a reform adopted in 2011, the Senate was transformed in 2014 into a “Chamber of the Entities”, similar to the German Bundesrat.
An opportunity for democratic renewal
Since 1831, the Senate has evolved from an upper house reserved for wealthy citizens into a ‘consultative chamber’ and a ‘meeting place for the communities and regions’. At the time of its founding, one had to be male, at least 40 years old, and pay 1,000 guilders in taxes annually. In the 1830s, only 400 men across the whole of Belgium met these conditions.
For G1000, the debate on abolishing the Senate offers an opportunity for democratic renewal. In the citizens’ assembly proposed by the organisation, residents selected at random are to formulate recommendations for action for the government and the Chamber of Representatives. Parliament is to be held accountable for their consideration and implementation. “This gives everyone the chance to help shape the decisions that determine our lives. Even after the elections,” explains G1000. The organisation has been campaigning for citizens’ assemblies since 2011.
Petition launched
G1000 aims to collect at least 25,000 signatures for a petition to establish a permanent Citizens’ Assembly. “All over the world, democracies are under pressure and institutions are under attack. Here too, there is a growing sense that the voice of the people is not being heard sufficiently. Only one in four Belgians say they feel sufficiently heard,” explains G1000. “We see this time and again, year after year, study after study. We can hope, election after election, that things won’t get that bad. Or we can take action.”
Specifically, G1000 proposes a Citizens’ Assembly comprising 50 members selected by lottery, who would, for example, be given a two-year term. Among other things, this mini-public would determine the topics to be addressed by various citizens’ panels. These panels would spend six to eight weekends exchanging views with experts, debating the issues and subsequently drawing up recommendations.
Parliament remains responsible for decisions
“One possible topic could be the future of the Brussels political system, which has recently clearly reached its limits,” explains G1000 Executive Director Ben Eersels. “But it could just as easily be about prison overcrowding or access to healthcare.”
The results of such processes would be of an advisory nature. “Ultimately, Parliament, as an elected body, remains responsible for political decisions. However, if politicians deviate from the recommendations of a Citizens’ Panel, they should also have to justify their decision,” says Eersels.
Citizens’ panels could also be involved in constitutional amendments. “Today, articles are often approved for amendment very quickly at the end of a legislative term, even though they frequently concern fundamental issues.”
Eastern Belgium as a model
The model is the permanent citizen dialogue in the German-speaking Community (DG) in East Belgium. Here, residents selected at random have been working with the DG Parliament since 2019.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) describes the permanent citizen dialogue in a 2021 guide on the institutionalisation of citizens’ assemblies as the “gold standard of participation”. To date, randomly selected citizens in East Belgium have deliberated on topics such as care, inclusive education, housing, digital skills, the integration of people with a migrant background, pupils’ skills and the social participation of older people.
Mixed committees
In 2023, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives decided to introduce mixed committees comprising elected representatives and randomly selected citizens. In 2024, the Senate followed suit.
G1000 aims to strengthen democratic institutions through the permanent Citizens’ Assembly by complementing them with so-called “deliberative democracy”. The Citizens’ Assembly is thus intended to ensure greater participation, greater trust and more sustainable decisions.
Campaign in the UK too
The Belgian organisation is not the only one campaigning for a chamber of randomly selected members. In the UK, the Sortition Foundation is running a campaign to replace the House of Lords with a House of Citizens.
The House of Lords consists of two classes of members. One class comprises “Lords Spiritual", who are bishops of the Anglican Church. The second class is drawn from “Lords Temporal”, who since 2026 have been, without exception, Life Peers. These peers are mostly former high-ranking politicians who have been elevated to the peerage.
"A democracy we can be proud of"
"The House of Lords is a hangover from our feudal past. Replacing it with a House of Citizens will give us a democracy we can be proud of," states the Democracy Initiative’s website.