Are citizens´ assemblies the future of democracy?

On 25 September, the Utopia bookshop in Paris will welcome Bertrand Séné and Beverley Toudic for a discussion on citizens’ assemblies.

Bertrand Séné posits in his futuristic novel ‘Après la Commacratie’ that citizens’ assemblies, selected by lot, will form the heart of tomorrow’s democracy. He believes there are a thousand reasons to assume that the system based on political parties and elections is coming to an end, and that in future as many decisions as possible will be taken in assemblies based on collective intelligence.

Beverley Toudic, a postdoctoral researcher, is currently in the midst of organising the French Citizens’ Assembly on Democracy, which takes place in Lille from September to December 2026 and for which she is also coordinating the academic observation.

Bertrand Séné, a graduate of Sciences Po Paris, is the author of speculative fiction novels. ‘Écosophia’ (2017) sets out the economic, monetary and financial rules that must be changed in order to achieve a truly sustainable economy by 2050.

‘Après la Commacratie’ (May 2026) sets out the political rules that must be changed to secure the future of humanity and the living world.

Beverley Toudic holds a PhD in public law from the University of Lille. Her thesis, which examines the role of citizens in the drafting and scrutiny of laws, is based on a comparative study of France, Italy and Switzerland. Her research focuses, more broadly, on citizen participation and the transformation of democratic institutions. She teaches public law at the university and is deputy director of the Institut Rousseau, an independent think tank dedicated to environmental and democratic challenges.

Follow the event online

The event can also be followed via the Zoom video conferencing platform.

Zoom access link – Zoom code (if required): utopia