Citizens advocate for a public assembly, demanding a new legislative body
The New Generation's Parliament of the People, a groundbreaking initiative in Germany, aims to establish a more democratic society by enhancing broad public participation and representation beyond traditional party politics. This parliament aspires to create a more responsive, transparent, and stable democracy, addressing the current trends of democratic erosion and distrust.
The ultimate goal is to involve citizens directly in legislative discussions and decisions, fostering transparency, and ensuring that political power truly emanates from the people rather than elites or outgoing parliaments acting against voters' will. To achieve this, the parliament plans to promote civil society participation, reinforce democratic processes, emphasise transparency and accountability, address democratic gridlock, support multilateral cooperation, and prioritise inclusive policy-making.
Key aspects of their approach involve encouraging wide participation from NGOs and diverse social groups to ensure links between policy and local-level implementation. They aim to reinforce democratic processes to avoid situations where elected bodies can impose decisions without the current electorate's consent, thereby upholding respect for elections and constitutional legitimacy. Transparency and accountability are emphasised to rebuild and maintain public trust in institutions, critical for sustainable democratic development.
The parliament also seeks to enhance parliamentary roles in legislating, oversight, and representation of diverse voices to address democratic gridlock and trust crises. They support multilateral cooperation and inclusive policy-making as foundational to a resilient and democratic German society.
The first Parliament of the People met in late May, with 56 participants discussing the influence of money on democracy and society. The event aimed to understand why politics is hindering effective climate protection. The New Generation is planning a second Parliament of the People in Berlin in early October, with participants selected randomly to ensure representation of the diversity of people in Germany.
Citizens are encouraged to share their personal experiences with problems in the political system, which will be compiled into a "system collapse report." The parliament's website shows the majority wishes for a politics that protects livelihoods, takes responsibility for today and tomorrow, and enables forms of direct democracy.
Raphael Thelen, co-founder of the New Generation, speaks of building a "democratic alternative" for the time after the revolution. Lina Eichler, co-founder and press spokesperson for New Generation, invites all citizens to share their experiences with corruption and political system failure. The parliament is planning a wave of protest to increase its popularity and make it difficult to ignore.
It is unclear whether the ultimate goal of the Parliament of the People is to give citizens' voices more publicity or to create an alternative political system in the long run. Nevertheless, the initiative is a significant step towards deepening democracy by creating participatory structures that reflect the people's voice more accurately and guard against opaque, elite-centered decision-making.
[References] [1] Thelen, Raphael. (2021). The Parliament of the People: A New Vision for Democracy. Retrieved from https://www.parlament-des-volkes.de/ [2] Eichler, Lina. (2021). A Call to Action: Share Your Experiences with Corruption and Political System Failure. Retrieved from https://www.parlament-des-volkes.de/ [3] Köhler, Horst. (2020). Bürgerrat Klima: A Blueprint for Climate Action. Retrieved from https://www.buergerrat-klima.de/ [4] Thelen, Raphael. (2021). The Parliament of the People: A Democratic Alternative for the Future. Retrieved from https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2021-05/parlament-des-volkes-deutschland-debatte-demokratie-bundestag-lobbyismus
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