Nils Ehlers Forum for the Future of Democracy Yerevan, October 20 th, 2010.

Nils Ehlers Forum for the Future of Democracy Yerevan, October 20th, 2010


Nils Ehlers,Initiative and Referendum Institute Europe

Making Democracy sustainableDirect Democracy and

other Forms of Participationfrom a Bottom-Up Perspective

Forum for the Fututre of DemocracyYerevan, October 20th, 2010


Citizens want to be heard on substantive issues...

Berlin, September 18th, 2010:100 000 people demonstrate against nuclear power


How cancitizens articulatetheir willon issues?

informally(e.g. demonstrations, „political shopping“ ...)

half-formally(e.g. civil society, political parties ...)

formally(e.g. direct democracy)


Which effect has...

only informal citizens' action ?

formal citizens' action ?

> destabilizing

> stabilizing


ways offormal citizens' action on issues

direct democracy(popular initiative, referenda)

participatory democracy(e.g. participatory budgeting, organized dialogues)


Modern direct democracy...

includes these procedures:

• obligatory referendum• facultative referendum• citizens’ initiative• agenda initiative


Modern direct democracy...

does not equate with popular votes like:

• recall (on persons)• plebiscite (initiated top-down)• election (on parties or persons)


Participatory democracy...

means, that (local) authorities:

• inform citizens about future projects on an early stage

• ask for citizens' ideas• encourage citizens to work for

the public


Participatory democracy...

includes for example:

• participatory budgeting• organized dialogues (with

citizens or civil society)• volunteering programmes


Participatory demo-cracy is...

- depending on free willing cooperation

- additional to the constitutionalpolitical system

- integrating citizens (horizontal)

Direct democracy is...

- regulated by constitution and law

- within the checks and balances of repre-sentative democracy

- empowering citizens (bottom-up)


Participatory democracy is...

„software“

helpful to deepen the democratic identity of people

Direct democracy is...

„hardware“

necessary to strengthen democracy


Participatory democr.:

Civil society hearings in the convention

Global civil society/ citizens forums ?

Example: European Union

Outlook: Transnational level

Direct democracy:

European Citizens Initiative (ECI)

Global Citizens Initiative ?

Nils Ehlers Forum for the Future of Democracy Yerevan, October 20 th, 2010.

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Transcript of Nils Ehlers Forum for the Future of Democracy Yerevan, October 20 th, 2010.