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Party renews initiative for democratic participation in city districts
As stated in a press release from the SPD Darmstadt, the party is once again advocating for the introduction of local advisory councils in Arheilgen, Eberstadt, Kranichstein and the Heimstättensiedlung.
“Just like in Wixhausen, there should also be local advisory councils in these districts,” explains SPD parliamentary group vice-chair Tim Sackreuther . The reason is a motion from UWIGA/WGD , which takes up an earlier initiative from the SPD. The SPD announces its intention to support this motion, but rejects a further proposal that calls for the adoption of the Frankfurt model . “We don’t want a copy, but a Darmstadt model that suits our city,” says Sackreuther .
From the SPD's perspective, citizen participation can be improved
"In Darmstadt, the principle of citizen participation highly valued, but there's a gap," says SPD parliamentary group leader Michael Siebel perceived as , which is why the SPD is calling for a new form of co-determination : the establishment of additional local advisory councils , supplemented by citizens' councils in the city center .
According to the SPD Darmstadt, local advisory councils play a significant role in other cities such as Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, and Kassel , and are involved in important infrastructure projects and social issues. This is also to be implemented in Darmstadt.
Local advisory councils are intended to strengthen democratic processes
“Local advisory councils are democratically legitimized through elections and ensure transparency and participation ,” Siebel continued. They have a crucial function , as they address concerns from their respective neighborhoods and enable direct citizen participation . Furthermore, they democratize and depoliticize .
The SPD sees a change in attitude towards democracy
According to the SPD Darmstadt, many people's attitudes towards representative democracy changed. Political processes are lengthy , which often leads to impatience among the population SPD press release states .
Therefore, local advisory councils are to be established in Arheilgen, Eberstadt, Kranichstein, and the Heimstättensiedlung . The city council is also to examine whether other districts could benefit from this.
Supplemented by citizens' councils in the city center
In addition to local advisory councils, the SPD Darmstadt in the city center . These differ from local advisory councils in that they are not elected but rather appointed by lottery . The participants discuss a given topic over several meetings and submit their recommendations to policymakers as a citizens' report .
According to a report by the German Bundestag , citizens' assemblies offer several advantages: They reflect the social mood more accurately than opinion polls, incorporate people's everyday experiences , and enable compromises that can garner a majority .
“Citizens’ councils complement and strengthen parliamentary democracy ,” Siebel concludes. “We should take the step of embracing more democracy by establishing local advisory councils and citizens’ councils.”
(DARMSTADT – RED / SPD)
