Participatory Democracy

Participatory Democracy - Involvement in public issues is one of the most important elements of urban democracy. That is why active citizenship should be included in the education system and supported by the government.

Public trust in politicians remains very low in too many regions of Europe. There is a widely accepted view of politicians as being far removed from the people. The reality is that politics is a key element of our everyday lives. The construction of roads and bridges with no pavements or cycle paths, a lack of support for grassroots art initiatives and designing public space in a way which discriminates physically disabled people are some examples of political decisions which negatively affect the quality of our lives. They are also an ineffective way of spending public money. We should not accept it – it is our city and our money.

The European Greens, who have an increasing voice in city councils, are working to improve the transparency and openness of local politics by facilitating access to public information and strengthening the role of citizens in the decision making process. This is achieved by organising public consultations or using tools of participatory democracy: local referendums, participatory spatial planning and participatory budgeting.

But that is not all. The Greens believe that involvement in public issues is one of the most important elements of urban democracy. That is why the teaching of active citizenship should be included in the education system and supported by the government, education institutions and non-governmental organisations. School and inter-school debates, meetings of young people with city councillors, discussion clubs, societies and informal groups, as well as open debates in the public domain, citizen initiated action, manifestations and demonstrations – these are all methods of teaching democracy. Thanks to these we can become active citizens who have a real influence on our common space.

Did You Know?

 * Participatory budgets function throughout European cities, including cities in France, Portugal, Italy, England and Belgium. Participatory budgeting is a democratic process of discussion, providing citizens with the opportunity to make decisions about how a part of the city’s budget should be used.