New Impulses for Co-Determination and Participation
How can democratic participation be strengthened beyond elections?
About the Event
Through the Democratic Innovations Lab Conversations, the Democratic Innovations Lab creates a space for exchange between academia, public administration, civil society, and practitioners. Future events in the series will explore different approaches to democratic innovation and open them up for joint discussion.
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II: Democratic Innovations in Firms and the Economy
Democratic innovations often aim to change existing political decision-making processes. But there is a much broader spectrum of democratic innovations. Decisions and activities by firms, as well as the use of economic resources, can also be designed in innovative and more democratic ways. We bring together perspectives from research and practice to discuss these democratic innovations. What are their effects? How would they have to be developed to effectively promote democracy in general? Join us for an exciting conversation and audience discussion with our three guests:
- Oier Imaz Alias (Mondragon Unibertsitatea/ASETT)
- Benedikt Kapteina (Universität St. Gallen)
Inken Reimer (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)
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I: Launch Democratic Innovations Lab Conversations
Which participation formats are already working? Where do practical and institutional challenges remain? And how can new impulses for co-determination and citizen participation be created? Sharing their experiences and perspectives were:
- Ursula Triebswetter, City of Munich – Department of Labour and Economic Development and Munich Urban Colab
- Timo Peters, Baden-Württemberg State Ministry – Unit for Civil Society and Citizen Participation
- Rainald Thannisch, ver.di – Co-Determination Division
The audience discussion highlighted key problems of democratic innovation across urban development, citizen participation and workplace co-determination. Meaningful participation requires spaces for dialogue, connections across institutional boundaries and new forms of collaboration. Munich Urban Collab’s “Meet the City” series, for instance, opens up municipal projects to public discussion, connecting city officials with citizens and the Colab community. By inviting different perspectives on urban challenges, it illustrates how dialogue between institutions and the public can create opportunities for participation.
The workshop also revealed the value of shifting the focus from competing positions to the underlying needs and concerns of those involved. By creating space for dialogue and identifying common ground, citizen participation can help inform more targeted and responsive political action.
The discussion revealed persistent power asymmetries as a common challenge across different contexts. Whether in local politics or in the workplace, efforts to establish and strengthen participation encounter resistance from powerful actors within existing structures. The exchange emphasized how established power relations can constrain participation, making a willingness to share power essential to democratic innovation.
