News item | 2023-03-20 | 3:30 pm
In the coming period, the government wants to investigate how people can become more involved in social issues. In a letter to the House of Representatives, Minister Bruins Slot of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) outlines the approach to give residents more influence. For example, during this government’s term of office, the theme of climate and energy will be examined to see how residents can gain more say, including through a citizens’ forum. This year, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations is also launching the Citizen Participation Monitor, which maps out examples and experiences of governments at a decentralized level in involving residents.
Minister Bruins Slot: “It is important to involve more people in the tasks and questions that affect us all. I have seen that participation works before in municipalities and provinces, for example by drawing up a participation bye-law and letting residents carry out tasks with the help of the right to challenge. Ensuring that citizens are properly represented and have a voice through an open and fair process is crucial in protecting and renewing our democracy. After all, democracy belongs to all of us.”
Insufficient voice
People in the Netherlands are involved through various forms of so-called citizen participation: from discussion tables and information meetings in the neighborhood to more formal forms such as drawn citizen forums, citizen budgets and the right to challenge. Yet many people experience that they do not have enough of a voice and do not feel seen and heard. To reduce the distance between ‘state and street’, more people must be actively involved in decisions that affect them.
Civic forums
That is why the government is committed to giving residents more opportunities to be involved. Work is currently underway to organize a drawn citizens’ forum for national climate and energy policy. A citizen forum drawn by lot is a diverse group of around 150 to 200 citizens drawn by lot that advises on a political issue with the aid of extensive information and consultation. It offers the opportunity to involve a broad and diverse group of citizens in decision-making. In addition to the citizens’ forum on climate and energy policy, the government wants to start exploring another citizens’ forum during this government’s term of office. For example, the cabinet wants to learn how a citizens’ forum can best be used.
In addition, the government will improve existing forms of involving residents. For example, by making internet consultation on new laws more understandable and accessible.
Monitor citizen participation
Municipalities, provinces and water boards have already gained a great deal of experience with various forms of citizen participation. For example, many municipalities allow residents to take over the management of a facility in their neighborhood with the right to challenge. There are also more and more municipalities that are starting with citizen forums and budgets, and they are working with young people on how young people in their municipality want to have a say in politics and policy. For example, there is the manifesto #Mijnstemtelt that young people and municipalities have drawn up together. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations will use the Citizen Participation Monitor to map out these examples and experiences. This will provide insight into the ways in which residents of municipalities, provinces and water boards are involved. And what governments and residents encounter in practice.