News item | 26-09-2022 | 17:52
With the bill ‘Strengthening participation at a decentralized level’, Minister Bruins Slot of the Interior and Kingdom Relations wants to strengthen the involvement of residents in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of policy of their municipality, province, water board or public body in the Caribbean Netherlands. The right to challenge, as a specific form of participation, is also legally anchored. With the right of challenge, residents can challenge their government to take over the performance of a task such as the management or maintenance of a park or community center. The bill was presented to the House of Representatives today.
Broadening of participation regulation to participation regulation
Municipalities, provinces, water boards and the public bodies of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius already have a so-called ‘participation regulation’: rules for how residents and other stakeholders are involved in the preparation of policy. Bruins Slot’s bill is also intended to involve residents in the implementation and evaluation of policy. Governments then draw up rules for this in a ‘participation regulation’. Such rules make it clear for both residents and parliamentarians how participation is possible. There is room to take local needs and circumstances into account.
Minister Bruins Slot: “Our democracy starts in society. This also means that initiative from society must be given space. It is therefore really time to take the step towards innovation and to stimulate opportunities for citizen participation and citizen initiatives. This bill provides for this because governments will indicate in their participation regulation how they want to shape the involvement of residents, in addition to the preparation, also in the implementation and evaluation of policy.
Right of challenge enshrined in law
With the right to challenge, residents can request the government to take over the performance of a task, with or without the associated budget, because they believe they can perform this task better or more efficiently. When using the right of challenge, the government shows that it entrusts the performance of a government task to a resident or social party.
Minister Bruins Slot: “There are already successful examples where residents or social parties made use of the right to challenge. Last week I was in the municipality of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk, where real work is already being done on citizen participation. Residents showed me how they challenged the municipality to take over the management of swimming pool De Fuut. Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, we managed to keep the swimming pool open. Residents are also closely involved in nature management, including around the Reeuwijkse Plassen. With this bill we strengthen the involvement of residents throughout the Netherlands.”
By laying down in the law that rules can be laid down in the Participation Regulation regarding the right to challenge as a specific form of participation, it is confirmed that residents can challenge their government to take over a municipal task. When using the right of challenge, the involvement and ownership of residents and social parties in their immediate living environment is increased. This offers opportunities to improve the quality of policy and can lead to new forms of cooperation and social connection. In this way, the right to challenge contributes to a resilient society.