To encourage citizen participation, individuals would have the opportunity to present proposals to their local municipal council. In order to achieve this, a minimum of three individuals aged 16 or over would need to collaborate and gather a sufficient number of signatures from residents within the community, with a threshold set at 5% of the population.
They would then be invited to attend a meeting with the council, where the council members could debate and decide on the proposals.
In addition, there would also be the option to hold a referendum, distinguishing between a vote initiated by the citizens and a vote initiated by the municipal council.
The Minister of the Interior, Taina Bofferding, explained that such a referendum would be purely consultative, if it was decided by the citizens, whereas the result would be binding if the vote was initiated by the municipal council.
In addition, the municipality would have to publish important information on its website, in which case the council noticeboard would no longer be mandatory.
The minister hopes that the new government will approve the bill in the next legislative period.
