Oliver Henman's blog

Following on from the recent Notre Europe Deliberative Poll and the European Citizens' Consultations, both under the aegis of the European Commission's Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate; on 8 and 9 November the other major institution, the European Parliament opened its main chamber for citizens to debate and share in the political space, with the first Citizens' Agora. The name evokes images of the Athenian city state deciding on its political priorities in the market-place, where every citizen had an equal voice but how did the modern reality measure up? Who participated?

Oli Henman was Co-Ordinator of the European Citizens Consultation held in York in March 2007, and covered extensively by openDemocracy. As we prepare for the Tomorrow’s Europe deliberative poll, let’s compare this process with the first Europe-wide participatory process, the European Citizens’ Consultations (ECC) that was held earlier this year.

Both of these processes come under the European Commission’s Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue & Debate, supported by Commissioner Margot Wallstrom; and they both attempt to provide new ways for European citizens to relate directly with the European Union, towards greater participation. This reflects a change at the European level, a recognition that it is time to engage in a more open debate; no-one would have predicted that in 2007, there would be not one but two Europe-wide opportunities for citizens to have their voices heard! So how do the two processes compare?