Permanent citizens' assembly in Aachen

Aachen was the first German municipality to adopt a permanent citizens' assembly. This means that, unlike other citizens' assemblies, this assembly has a legal basis and a permanent organisational structure. On 30 March 2022, the Aachen city council decided accordingly. The model is the citizens' dialogue in the nearby German-speaking Community (DG) of East Belgium.

The randomly selected citizens' dialogue across the German-Belgian border has already existed since 2019 and enjoys a great deal of independence. The topics can be determined just as independently as the organisation of the meetings of the citizens drawn for this purpose. This and the procedure for dealing with the recommendations of the citizens' assemblies are regulated by law.

Citizens' assembly discusses municipal policy issues

The situation is similar in Aachen. The citizens' assembly there is a body set up for a limited period of time to deliberate on a specific municipal policy issue. The 56 members will be randomly selected from the register of residents. The assembly deliberates on special issues of city-wide importance. The outcome of the deliberations of the mini-public is documented in a citizens' report and submitted to the city council for discussion and decision.

On 27 February 2026, the citizens' forum, as the participation committee of the Aachen City Council, decided on a change to the procedure. Previously, topics for the next Citizens' Assembly could be proposed by residents, by a previous mini-public, by council factions and by departments of the city administration.

The proposed topics were first discussed in the Citizens' Assembly's advisory committee. The committee consists of participants from previous mini-public. The committee's recommendation was submitted to the Citizens' Forum for discussion. Following the discussion, the Citizens' Forum determined the topic of the Citizens' Assembly.

Citizens' Secretariat selects topics

The Citizens' Secretariat, as the point of contact for the Citizens' Assembly, is now responsible for the technical preparation of suitable topics and specific questions for the respective mini-public. In doing so, the Secretariat works together with the relevant departments of the administration. 

On this basis, a list of technically reviewed questions suitable for a Citizens' Assembly will be drawn up. This list will be sent to the political groups in the city council. The political groups will have the opportunity to raise justified objections to individual topic proposals within a specified period of time. In this way, the administration wants to ensure the political feasibility of the topic at an early stage and avoid subsequent implementation obstacles or unmet expectations.

Topic suggestions from the population

Even under the new rules, residents will still have the opportunity to contribute their own topic suggestions. These proposals are intended to serve as indicators of perceived problems, social developments or topics that have not yet been adequately addressed. Unlike in the past, however, the proposed topics do not have to be evaluated in an online vote in order to be considered. Previously, the support of at least 125 Aachen residents was required for this.

The suggestions received are collected and documented by the Citizens' Secretariat and evaluated in consultation with the relevant departments of the administration. ‘Where technically appropriate and feasible in terms of time, they are incorporated into the development of specific questions and help to align the selection of topics more closely with the perceptions and experiences of the urban community,’ the administration explains the procedure.

The list of topics prepared in this way is presented to all residents of the city of Aachen via the city's participation portal for public evaluation according to importance. Citizens decide in a transparent online survey which topic should be dealt with by the Citizens' Assembly in the respective year. If two or more topics receive the same number of votes, the Citizens' Assembly's advisory committee will decide.

Concept result of a working group

The original Citizens' Assembly concept was developed in a working group consisting of members of the initiative "Bürgerrat für Aachen" (Citizens' Assembly for Aachen), the Citizens' Forum, the city's department for citizens' dialogue and administrative management, as well as the council's parliamentary groups.

Gereon Hermens and Frank Sukkau from the initiative "Bürgerrat für Aachen" think it is important to design the sortition process for the future Citizens' Council in such a way that all residents of Aachen feel represented. Hermens and Sukkau note an increasing disenchantment with politics among the population. Both see the Citizens' Assembly as an opportunity to ensure more participation on a broad level. The Citizens' Assembly initiative had initiated the debate on the use of loose democracy in Aachen back in 2020.

Aachen Citizens' Forum agreed

The Aachen Citizens' Forum had approved the proposal of the Citizens' Assembly Working Group on 22 February 2022. "We are all very pleased that the Citizens' Assembly is now being launched. We experience every day how important a functioning exchange between administration, politics and society is. The Citizens' Assembly will also discuss complex issues broadly and deeply, bringing entirely new perspectives to the discussion. More participation is a gain for all of us," says Mathias Dopatka, Chair of the Citizens' Forum.

"The establishment of a citizens' assembly is a stroke of luck for Aachen, because it allows us to experience the views of people in the most diverse life situations on the major issues of our city, gives them time and space to develop ideas together and the results are directly incorporated into the further development of our city," said Dana Duikers, Head of Department for Citizens' Dialogue and Administrative Management, at the presentation of the concept on 11 February 2022.

The political representatives also praised the good and always solution-oriented cooperation, which could serve as a model for other cities. In a pilot phase, the first Citizens' Assembly was evaluated and adapted by scientific monitoring.

Citizens' dialogue in East Belgium

In East Belgium, the parliament of the autonomous German-speaking Community had regulated by law in 2019 how the democracy instrument should be designed there. As a rule, the decisions of the citizens' assembly are made by consensus.

A citizens' council meets annually to determine the topics to be discussed at citizens' assemblies over the course of the next twelve months. In selecting the topics, the citizens' council can draw on proposals submitted to it either by at least two of its members, by a parliamentary group, by the government or by citizens. The citizens‘ assembly itself decides on the wording of the question and the selection of the experts to be heard. It can also demand further working sessions and organise the collection of further information by the members of the citizens’ assembly.

Handling of recommendations regulated

The law also regulates the handling of recommendations made by Citizens' Assemblies in Parliament. For example, all members of the assembly are invited to present their proposals and to discuss the response of the relevant parliamentary committee.

The Citizens' Council takes over the follow-up of the recommendations, which are to be implemented on the basis of the committee's opinion. To this end, the permanent secretariat submits reports on the status of implementation of the recommendations at regular intervals. If it deems it necessary, the Citizens' Council informs the members of the Citizens' Assembly concerned of this state of affairs. Parliament's rules of procedure require the government to report on the status of implementation of citizens' recommendations.

Seven citizens' assemblies so far

Within one year after the meeting to discuss the parliamentary statement on the recommendations of the citizens' assembly, another public meeting of the relevant parliamentary committee is held to present and discuss the state of implementation. All members of the Citizens' Assembly concerned are also invited to this. If necessary, additional meetings can be arranged to follow up on the further implementation of the recommendations.

To date, randomly selected citizens in East Belgium have discussed topics such as care, inclusive education, housing, digital skills, integration of people with a migrant background, school skills and the social participation of senior citizens.

Auch die Vertreter der Politik lobten die gute und immer lösungsorientierte Zusammenarbeit, aus der sich eine Vorbildfunktion für andere Städte ergeben könne. In einer Pilotphase wurde der erste Bürgerrat durch eine wissenschaftliche Begleitung ausgewertet und angepasst.

Bürgerdialog in Ostbelgien

In Ostbelgien hatte das Parlament der autonomen Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft 2019 per Gesetz geregelt, wie das Demokratie-Instrument dort gestaltet sein soll. Die Beschlüsse der dort „Bürgerversammlung“ genannten Losversammlung werden in der Regel im Konsens getroffen.

Der in Aachen „Begleitgremium“ genannte Bürgerrat tritt jährlich zusammen, um die Themen zu bestimmen, die im Laufe der nächsten zwölf Monate im Rahmen von Bürgerversammlungen besprochen werden sollen. Bei der Auswahl der Themen kann der Bürgerrat auf Vorschläge zurückgreifen, die ihm entweder von mindestens zwei seiner Mitglieder, von einer Parlamentsfraktion, von der Regierung oder von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern unterbreitet werden. Die Bürgerversammlung entscheidet selbst über die Formulierung der Fragestellung des Diskussionsthemas und die Auswahl der anzuhörenden Fachleute. Sie kann auch weitere Arbeitssitzungen einfordern und die Sammlung weiterer Informationen durch die Mitglieder der Bürgerversammlung organisieren.

Umgang mit Empfehlungen geregelt

Das Gesetz regelt auch den Umgang mit den Empfehlungen der Bürgerversammlungen im Parlament. Alle Mitglieder der Bürgerversammlung werden so etwa zur Vorstellung ihrer Vorschläge und zur Diskussion der Antwort des zuständigen Parlamentsausschusses eingeladen.

Der Bürgerrat übernimmt die Nachbereitung der Empfehlungen, die auf der Grundlage der Stellungnahme des Ausschusses umgesetzt werden sollen. Das ständige Sekretariat legt dazu in regelmäßigen Abständen Berichte zum Stand der Umsetzung der Empfehlungen vor. Falls er dies für notwendig erachtet, informiert der Bürgerrat die Mitglieder der betreffenden Bürgerversammlung über diesen Stand der Dinge. Durch die Geschäftsordnung des Parlaments ist die Regierung verpflichtet, über den Sachstand in Bezug auf die Umsetzung der Bürgerempfehlungen zu berichten.

Bisher sieben Bürgerversammlungen

Innerhalb eines Jahres nach der Sitzung zur Diskussion der parlamentarischen Stellungnahme zu den Empfehlungen der Bürgerversammlung findet eine weitere öffentliche Sitzung des zuständigen Parlamentsausschusses statt, in der der Stand der Umsetzung vorgestellt und diskutiert wird. Auch hierzu werden alle Mitglieder der betreffenden Bürgerversammlung eingeladen. Falls erforderlich, können zusätzliche Sitzungen vereinbart werden, um die weitere Umsetzung der Empfehlungen weiterzuverfolgen.

Bisher haben ausgeloste Bürgerinnen und Bürger in Ostbelgien über die Themen Pflege, inklusive Bildung, Wohnen, digitale Fähigkeiten, Integration von Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund, Schülerkompetenzen und die soziale Teilhabe von Seniorinnen und Senioren beraten.