Since 2018, we have been implementing the democracy innovation of the European House Parliaments with Pulse of Europe, to promote civil society engagement. These House Parliaments, developed by Raban Fuhrmann in 2003, serve as a link between representative, direct, and deliberative democracy, aiming to bridge the gap between citizens and political decision-makers.
Unlike conventional citizen participation or direct democracy, where decisions are either made from the top down or independently of politicians, House Parliaments facilitate dialogue on an equal footing. Hosts invite friends and acquaintances to discuss specific topics based on provided guidelines. The results of each discussion are collected, evaluated, and forwarded to politicians who commit to incorporating them into their decision-making process.
This low-threshold form of citizen consultation provides an effective way to supply the European Parliament with the opinions and suggestions of thousands of citizens on important decisions. A first round of House Parliaments was conducted for the Foreign Office in the summer of 2018, followed by others leading up to the European elections in 2019.
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