On September 11, 2026, a Citizens' Jury on climate adaptation began its work in Pinneberg. What makes the process unusual is that some of its…
Read more
The 2026 Democracy Monitor shows that most people in Germany want to keep representative democracy—but they want to be meaningfully involved between…
Just months before the 2027 presidential election, France is seeing the launch of three new nationwide citizens’ assemblies.
Why parties and elections can deepen social divides – and citizens’ assemblies can offer a different experience of democracy.
A Danish Citizens' Assembly is calling for a fundamental overhaul of the pig farming industry. Now it is up to policymakers to show how seriously they…
In the German city of Osterburg, all citizens were supposed to vote on recommendations from a citizens' council regarding mobility and bicycle…
Should citizens' assemblies be funded in general, or should they be specifically enshrined in law? In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the political…
In Herzberg (Elster), citizens are not only asked for their views once the plans have already been drawn up. The small town in Brandenburg has…
Six political parties want to strengthen or make more frequent use of citizens’ assemblies in Berlin. The city is already one of the pioneers of…
How much tourism can an island that depends on tourism sustain? Sylt is seeking an answer to this question with the help of randomly selected…
For a long time, citizens’ assemblies were regarded as one-off, special democratic events. Yet a second generation of sortition-based democracy is…
In 2026, South Korea created something that had never before existed at national level: a permanent, legally established Climate Citizens’ Assembly.
The climate crisis is exposing the limits of our political systems. Citizens’ assemblies could help democracy regain the long-term perspective it has…
The parties’ election manifestos for the state election on 6 September 2026 in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt reflect differing views on citizens’…
The career of US President Donald Trump raises a fundamental question: Does electoral democracy reward those who are most eager for power? And how…
What the white sclera of the human eye may have to do with the success of citizens’ assemblies
How can we achieve climate policy that is both effective and has the support of society? The Ariadne Citizens’ Deliberation addressed this question…
In the US state of Connecticut, a Citizens’ Assembly is examining property tax reform. The members of the assemblies, selected by lot, have a great…
Following a Citizens’ Assembly, the French National Assembly passed a law on 15 July 2026 legalising assisted dying in France.
How should a local authority use artificial intelligence without losing sight of transparency, data protection and democratic oversight? A Civic…
What needs to change in Berlin so that women and men can live on an equal footing? From July through October 2026, randomly selected residents of the…
“Intergenerational Public Services” was the theme of the first statewide Citizens’ Assembly in North Rhine-Westphalia. On June 23, 2026, the members…
On June 18, 2026, the Brandenburg State Parliament passed a resolution to establish a Citizens’ Assembly to reform public broadcasting.
What will a sustainable hospital provision look like in the Regen district? This question was the focus of the public dialogue “ARBERLANDKliniken…
For a long time, Hamburg was the only German state where a mini-public had never been held. That changed in 2026.
Flensburg is the first local authority in Schleswig-Holstein to hold a Citizens’ Jury followed by a local referendum. On 30 May 2026, the mini-public…
From May to July 2026, the “Rheinisches Revier” Citizens’ Assembly met, providing residents with an opportunity to play an active role in shaping…
In December 2025, the Netherlands’ first national Citizens’ Climate Assembly had handed over 82 recommendations to the government. On 29 May 2026, the…
In autumn 2026, a randomly selected Citizens’ Panel will discuss measures to strengthen democracy in the European Union (EU). Until the end of the…
In the Berlin district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf, a citizens’ jury has drawn up 28 recommendations on the topic of ‘heat protection’ in Marzahn-Nord. In…
Since 20 March 2026, 150 randomly selected citizens from all 27 EU Member States are discussing the topic of preparedness in a Citizens’ Panel.
In Belgium, the Senate, one of the country’s two parliamentary chambers, is being dissolved. The organisation G1000 is calling for the Senate to be…
In Moers, a citizens’ jury on the topic of public participation has led to the formation of an association dedicated to addressing this issue. We…
Baden-Württemberg leads the way among the federal states in terms of the number of citizens’ assemblies. In their coalition agreement, presented on 6…
Whether it’s COVID-19 measures, local transport, the future of the electricity grid or peace and diplomacy – the topics covered by citizens’…
Since 21 April 2026, a state-wide citizens’ assembly in Thuringia is addressing the topic of ‘peace and diplomacy’. The mini-public is intended to…
In Berlin, a randomly selected Citizens’ Forum has drawn up a “Citizens’ Charter for the Olympics”. This was presented to the Senate on 21 April 2026.
On April 17, 2026, a Climate Council composed of representatives from academia and associations has begun its work in Lower Saxony. A panel of…
On 14 September 2025, former members of various citizens’ assemblies met in Bonn to share their experiences and the lessons they had learnt. A video…
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed enormous challenges to the state and society in health, economic, social and political terms. Randomly selected…
Following racism and corruption scandals in Los Angeles, the LA Charter Assembly has proposed the introduction of a randomly selected Citizens’…
On March 14, 2026, a global Citizens’ Assembly on the future of the global food system adopted 22 calls for action. These are intended as a roadmap of…
On 8 March 2026, a European Youth Citizens' Assembly in Brussels adopted recommendations for the protection of pollinating insects. Among the…
Following a randomly selected Citizens' Panel, the European Commission presented its strategy for intergenerational justice on 5 March 2026.
On 22 March 2026, twelve parties contested the state elections in Rhineland-Palatinate. Four of them promised in their election manifestos to promote…
On the recommendation of a Citizens' Jury, the parliament of the British Channel Island of Jersey voted on 26 February 2026 to legalise assisted…
In the municipality of Werbach in Baden-Württemberg, a randomly selected citizens' forum developed proposals for the municipal budget. On February 24,…
On 20 February 2024, the Citizens' Assembly 'Nutrition in Transition' submitted its recommendations to the German Bundestag. Two years later, none of…
In Lüneburg, a citizens' jury discussed the topic of ‘Consumption-free places for children in the city centre’. The nine recommendations of the…
On 8 March 2026, 21 parties contested the state elections in Baden-Württemberg. Ten of them promised more randomised citizens' assemblies in the…
On 4 February 2026, the Baden-Württemberg state parliament passed an amendment to the law on the protection of non-smokers. The amendment takes into…
The participatory instrument of citizens' assemblies continues to boom: in 2025, 58 mini-publics were launched or completed in Germany, and planning…
