How citizens are reclaiming democracy – one assembly at a time

If you think democracy is stuck, here’s a format that’s quietly changing the game: the citizens’ assembly. Around Europe, everyday people are being invited to the decision-making table – not as voters, not as protesters, but as co-creators of policy.

Teele Pehk, a long-time advocate of deliberative democracy in Estonia, took the NECE Campus on a journey through this shift. Citizens’ assemblies, she explained, bring together a random (but demographically representative) group of people to learn, deliberate, and propose policy solutions on big societal questions such as climate, or mobility, or housing.

The participants are chosen by lottery (sortition), not self-selection. They work with experts, hear from stakeholders, and co-create recommendations that are then formally considered and sometimes implemented by governments. When done well, these assemblies offer something rare in politics: real impact, greater trust, and a boost to public imagination.

Teele walked us through the history. While the roots go back to Ancient Greece, the format re-emerged in the 1970s in academic settings. From the 2000s, governments began to pick it up. Ireland famously used a citizens’ assembly before legalising same-sex marriage and abortion. In the 2010s, climate assemblies spread fast, thanks in part to pressure from social movements. Today, places like Brussels, Paris and Copenhagen are even trialling permanent assemblies embedded in policymaking.

Estonia, though small, is becoming a bold player. Teele and her team have helped organise five assemblies – including one just for young people in a Russian-speaking region affected by the green transition. That assembly didn’t end when the final proposals were written: participants went on to found an NGO and now sit on an official steering committee managing millions in transition funds.

The impact is layered. Assemblies can shape policy, push institutions to open up, foster new public conversations – and transform participants themselves. Post-assembly surveys show spikes in trust, engagement and a deeper sense of agency.

But Teele was clear: one-off assemblies are not enough. For real democratic renewal, these formats must become regular, properly funded, and embedded in public systems. The Estonian team’s next step? A national assembly on what defines a “good life” – using systems thinking and citizen wisdom to challenge Estonia’s dominant neoliberal narrative.

If you’re curious where this could go – or want to start your own – check out the Federation for Innovation in Democracy Europe (FIDE) and its excellent “Getting started” resources.

Because reclaiming democracy doesn’t always mean shouting louder. Sometimes it means listening better – and creating the conditions for others to do the same.

This session offers a little preview of what to expect at the NECE Festival 2025: HOPE taking place in Oslo on 2-4 September. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can register at nece.eu/nece-festival.