Transforming mindsets through participatory democracy: citizens' councils and assemblies for climate policy acceptance

Abstract

In line with an international trend, climate change has accelerated the previously hesitant introduction of democratic innovations into the Austrian political system. Participatory instruments such as citizens’ councils and assemblies are increasingly employed both on the decentralized level (Vorarlberg and Vienna) and nationwide. They complement representative democracy and, acting as mini-publics, contribute to shifting mindsets through deliberation, thereby achieving a social mandate for a more ambitious climate policy. Apart from Vorarlberg, where participatory democracy has been enshrined in the state constitution since 2013, there is no tailored legal framework for these processes. This ultimately leads to a loss of legitimacy for participatory instruments and a􀀀ects acceptance and governance success. Drawing on existing evaluations, literature and interviews, we discuss the role participatory processes play for the acceptance of climate measures, highlight existing hurdles and limitations of the current framework and propose to anchor these processes within the legal and constitutional framework to support deep transformation. Our examples from Austria highlight that gradual experimentation can pave the way for more robust democratic innovations in other countries too.