German Bundestag President Rejects Concept of Citizen Councils
German Bundestag President Julia Klöckner has expressed her opposition to the idea of citizen councils. In an interview with the “Welt am Sonntag” Klöckner stated that “the biggest council in Germany is the democratically elected parliament.”
Klöckner went on to say that during the February Bundestag elections, there was a high voter turnout, which shows the importance of the democratic process. She expressed concerns about the idea of citizen councils as an addition to representative democracy and suggested that it would be better to clarify the expectations associated with it. She emphasized that the democratic legitimacy of the Bundestag is much greater than any form of dialogic participation.
Klöckner also expressed skepticism towards plebiscites, citing an example of public opinion on nuclear energy. She noted that after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, there was a high demand for an exit from nuclear power, but as energy prices increased in recent times, public opinion has shifted and a significant portion of the population now supports nuclear energy.
Klöckner pointed out that public sentiment can be easily influenced by external factors and foreign interests, which can quickly change. She also mentioned the rise of fake news in digital media and emphasized the importance of strengthening representative democracy. According to Klöckner, citizens exercise their influence through elections, extending or ending their “employment contract” with their politicians.