A citizens’ assembly “unique in France” meeting for the first time in Toulouse
By Gabriel Kenedi
Published on
This is a great first! Saturday October 22, 2022 , the citizens’ assembly of the department of haute-garonnea new democratic body presented as “innovative and sustainable” met for the first time in Toulouse.
A body “unique in France”
” This first plenary meeting constitutes a historic date for the Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne, for the inhabitants of the department and for our policy in terms of participatory democracy”, rejoiced Georges Méric, the president (PS) of the Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne .
“This Citizens’ Assembly, unique in France for its format and its ambition, marks the life and history of our community. It demonstrates our desire to be as close as possible to the expectations of our fellow citizens, to listen to their grievances and to innovate in the decision-making process. This body is the best response to the mistrust experienced by the political world, a mistrust that favors the rise of populism, extremism and the most dangerous excesses for our democracy and our Republic”, declared Georges Méric in particular at the opening of the first plenary session of the Citizens’ Assembly.
162 citizens selected at random
Made of 162 volunteer citizens drawn by lot (i.e. 6 members per canton, 3 men and 3 women), who will have to honor a two-year termthis new body will have the task of “identifying, on each issue studied by the Assembly, the actions already implemented in order to make proposals for improvement, or to propose the implementation of new solutions”, to “co-construct the main orientations of departmental action for the years to come” and to “allow elected officials to make their decisions, informed by the opinion of citizens”.
“We went looking formen and women who would not have allowed themselves to applyvery different profiles from what we are used to seeing regularly in neighborhood associations,” said Sandrine Floureusses, vice-president in charge of Citizen Dialogue.
To do this, this citizens’ assembly will be able to rely on the services of the Department and call on, if necessary, independent experts from the community to support its work. The opinions of the Assembly will be voted on within it.
For the composer, the members of the Citizens’ Assembly, the Departmental Council had launched a call for candidates, elected officials and agents of the Department were not excluded. 1550 candidates responded to the call, and were finally decided by lot. “This proves that citizens are interested in public affairs and want to participate,” said Georges Méric during a press briefing.
They are going to work on the ecological transition
While the Departmental Council has just announcedmeasures in favor of the ecological transition, it is precisely on this theme that the members of the citizens’ assembly will initially work. “We voted in an extraordinary session on a certain number of actions in favor of the ecological transition. They will be able to analyze and give us their opinion,” insisted Georges Méric.
This Citizens’ Assembly will meet three to four times in a plenary session. And that’s not all… In 2023, the Departmental Council will set up a right of questioning. This new tool will be intended to open up the possibility for the inhabitants of the department to request the registration of relevant subjects of local life and the competences of the community.
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