France is turning to participatory democracy and open governance practices to address what officials describe as growing “democratic fatigue” and an erosion of trust between citizens and the state, France’s ambassador to Cyprus said on Friday.
Clélia Chevrier Kolačko told the Cyprus Forum that declining electoral participation, resistance to reforms and frequent street protests reflect a widening gap between government and citizens as democracies face major challenges including the green transition, disinformation and increasingly complex policy issues.
“Democracies are called upon to manage major challenges at a time when we see reduced engagement from citizens,” Chevrier Kolačko said.
Climate assembly produces 149 policy recommendations after Yellow Vests protests
To bridge this divide, France has established citizen assemblies and participatory budgets across national and local government levels. The most prominent example was the Citizens’ Assembly for Climate, launched in 2019 following the Yellow Vests movement that saw months of anti-government protests.
The assembly brought together 150 randomly selected citizens chosen to reflect French society by age, gender, region and profession. Participants worked in sessions with experts, debated proposals and voted on recommendations, ultimately producing 149 policy suggestions.
“More than 60 per cent of these have already been incorporated into policies or legislative initiatives, allowing France to advance climate change measures that otherwise could not have been adopted,” the ambassador said.
Building on this model, France established a Citizens’ Assembly on End-of-Life Issues in 2023, comprising 180 citizens. The assembly recommended equal access to palliative care and legislative changes to decriminalise assisted suicide, Chevrier Kolačko said.
Two bills based on these recommendations—covering palliative care and end-of-life issues—have passed first reading in the National Assembly and are now under consideration in the Senate.
The ambassador noted that participating citizens receive special legal status comparable to jury members, providing protection and financial compensation to enable meaningful contribution.
Participatory budgets allocate millions in local infrastructure spending
Another practice gaining traction involves participatory budgets at the municipal level, where portions of local investment budgets are allocated to projects proposed and voted on by residents.
In Paris, five per cent of the municipal investment budget—amounting to hundreds of millions of euros—is dedicated to such projects, ranging from education and environment to mobility and public spaces, according to Chevrier Kolačko.
Open data initiatives strengthen transparency during COVID-19 pandemic
The ambassador also highlighted open governance initiatives centred on making public databases freely accessible, covering economic, demographic, climate and other data. France’s Public Health Agency provides access to more than 900 epidemiological indicators.
This system proved crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening public trust in government information, she said.
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