Lessons learnt from local/national citizens' initiatives that can support European citizens' initiatives

I think it is necessary to start from the foundations. The first step is to improve confidence in democracy at local and national level. The process of political socialisation takes place at national level. The role of civic education in secondary schools plays an important role here. On this basis, an awareness of active citizenship is being built. Active citizenship requires time, resources, engagement. Many people cannot afford active citizenship. Empowering an individual, a citizen, is needed. The next key level is civil society/NGOs. The development and professionalisation of NGOs in Slovenia needs to be strengthened. Promote integration in European networks and capacity building in order to become part of European coalitions that collect signatures for citizens’ initiatives. This will create capacity and the need for a European citizens’ initiative in Slovenia.

Around the world 34 countries out of 107 electoral democracies listed in the database of the Direct-Democracy-Navigator know the participation tool of an Agenda Initiative on national level.

An agenda initiative - as the European Citizens Initiative - invites citizens to propose laws or measures on certain issues to parliament or a competent authority. Usually the legal designs set a minimum of signatures to be collected within a certain time limit and other formal rules to follow, until a successful agenda initiative will be presented to the authorities.

One of the most critical issues of this legal design is the fact that still the decision on the proposal is made by the legislature only.

In the case of Spain, as example, between 1983 and 2019 more than 170 agenda initiatives were presented by the Spanish people. But only one proposal finally was accepted by parliament.

The Spanish example shows very clearly the weak point of the agenda initiative setting. The cases of the ECI seem not to be so different from cases in other countries. In the long run these experiences may lead to frustration and bitterness by the people.

On the other hand there would be an alternative: The Citizen Initiative, where citizens suggest a certain measure and finally are able to decide on it. The most prominent example is Switzerland. Between 1996 and 2016 the Swiss electorate voted 86 times on proposals initiated by the citizens. Not all became finally law. But people were able to decide.

The experiences around the world show:

It needs

- enough time for citizens to fulfil the requirements of a legal design on direct democracy instrument (e.g. collection of signatures)

- easy access to the instrument (preliminary, formal requirements etc.)

And most important: being an active part as well in the final decision making process.

With respect to the ECI it may mean

- to extend the time for signature collection or even abstain from a time limit

- after the submission a successful ECI: to introduce more possibilities for people to take part in the decision making process, e.g. by introduction of citizen juries and/or giving people a chance to introduce their request in the European Council.

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