Citizens’ councils: a participatory model for the future?

Citizens’ councils are structured participatory processes in which citizens, usually selected by lot, deliberate over a series of meetings on a predefined or self-chosen topic. The aim is to achieve a representation of the population that is as broad as possible. [1] The project “Stronger Together! Joint Crisis Management in the German-Polish Border Region”, run by the Euroregion Spree-Neiße-Bober association based in the German-Polish twin town of Guben-Gubin, demonstrates how citizens’ assemblies work in practice and what the format can achieve. In this context, the team from the Leipzig-based Steinbeis Consulting Center Mediation of Business, in cooperation with IKOME Dr. Barth GmbH & Co. KG, supported a German-Polish citizens’ advisory council from its establishment over a period of more than two years, both in terms of expertise and in moderating the council meetings.

The particular value of the “citizens’ council” participatory format lies in the diversity of perspectives: people with very different life experiences engage in dialogue, learn to tolerate disagreement, weigh up arguments and develop compromises. Citizens’ councils thus demonstrate that understanding is possible even when starting points differ, and that democratic dialogue can be more than a clash of opinions. [2] Accompanied by professional facilitation and supported by expert input, the participants develop recommendations for action [3], which are, for example, summarised in a citizens’ report and handed over to the commissioning body. These recommendations are generally not binding, but they have an impact through public and political engagement with them. [4]

The German-Polish Citizens’ Advisory Board within the project of the Euroregion Spree-Neiße-Bober association was established as an advisory body to complement the citizens’ dialogues in the project. It had equal German and Polish representation and consisted of ten members with diverse qualifications, life and professional experience, and of different ages.

The Citizens’ Advisory Board’s task was to provide critical yet constructive support for the participatory process between 2022 and 2025, to refine topics, to take up feedback from the dialogues, and to offer guidance on the design of the participatory process. Furthermore, it ensured that the recommendations developed by citizens during the dialogue events were communicated to the relevant bodies in administration and politics, and monitored the status of their implementation.

Bilingualism is more than just translation

As the project progressed, it quickly became clear to the Steinbeis team that a cross-border citizens’ advisory board is not simply a bilingual citizens’ assembly. It presents specific challenges whilst also offering particular potential. Consistent interpreting, bilingual visualisation and documentation of every working session formed the basis for mutual understanding. “It was also crucial, however, that we saw our role as facilitators as ‘bridge-builders’: with intercultural empathy, we mediated in cases of misunderstanding and resolved unequal conditions of communication,” explains project manager Verena Reinecke.

Administrative logic, responsibilities and experiences of participation differ significantly between Germany and Poland. In many places in Poland, citizen participation is far less established than in Germany. This led to a clash of expectations: What can a committee achieve? How quickly does the administration respond? What counts as a realistic recommendation? Here, the facilitation role was particularly challenged and also involved “structural” translation work.

A key lesson from the support provided was the quality of the collaboration: the dialogue within the citizens’ advisory board was consistently constructive and respectful, underpinned by a warm and trusting relationship between German and Polish board members. Even when difficult issues arose, discussions continued; members listened attentively to one another, explained their positions and sought solutions together.

The consistently high level of motivation shown by the advisory board members throughout the project to contribute to the further development of the border region and to play an active role in key issues relating to German-Polish relations was evident, for example, in the creation of a long-awaited German-Polish calendar of events: It was established by the twin town of Guben-Gubin at the instigation of the Citizens’ Advisory Board in 2024 and has since significantly increased the visibility and uptake of cross-border services. The Citizens’ Advisory Board was also active in the field of cross-border healthcare, drafting an open letter addressed to relevant German and Polish healthcare officials calling for greater support in expanding cross-border healthcare provision. “These examples show that the Citizens’ Council’s participatory format is particularly effective when connectivity is ensured and the outcomes of discussions are translated into concrete action,” emphasises Verena Reinecke.

Participation fosters trust

Citizens’ councils can usefully complement representative democracy, particularly when feedback and transparency are guaranteed. The example of the German-Polish Citizens’ Advisory Council also demonstrates how cross-border citizen participation succeeds: through communication on an equal footing. This involves consistently designing the format in the language of the advisory council members and moderating it with intercultural sensitivity – to foster trusting relationships across national borders.

[1] Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Brandenburg, Bürgerräte, www.politische-bildung-brandenburg.de/lexikon/buergerraete (abgerufen am 17.12.2025). 
[2] Mehr Demokratie e. V. und Institut für Demokratie- und Partizipationsforschung (IDPF) der Bergischen Universität Wuppertal (Hrsg.), Bürgerräte in Deutschland. Entwicklung und Vielfalt losbasierter Beteiligung, 1. Auflage, Berlin/Wuppertal 2024, S. 36f. 
[3] Forschungsinstitut für Nachhaltigkeit (RIFS), Bürgerräte, www.rifs-potsdam.de/de/ergebnisse/dossiers/buergerraete (abgerufen am 16.12.2025) 
[4] Mehr Demokratie e. V., Was ist ein Bürgerrat?, www.mehr-demokratie.de/mehr-wissen/buergerraete/was-ist-ein-buergerrat (abgerufen am 17.12.2025)