Deliberative committee in the Parliament of Wallonia: Methods, proceedings and minutes of meetings
  • Hybrid Deliberation

Deliberative committee in the Parliament of Wallonia: Methods, proceedings and minutes of meetings

12 Dec 2024
Read Everything you need to know about the first Deliberative committee at the Walloon Parliament

Session 0: optional information session on the process

Date: 15 October 2023

Recording of the meeting: closed session, not recorded

How we worked:

  • We helped the participants to get to know each other and learn about each other’s lives.
  • We presented the process: how will the 5 deliberation sessions be structured?
  • We started by clarifying the topic chosen for this deliberative committee.

Media used

Session 1: finding out about and clarifying the topic under consideration

How we worked:

  • We used the photo language method to tackle the question: what does this subject mean to us?
  • Presentation by Cap démocratie, the non-profit organisation behind the petition.
  • 3 experts presented key information on the issue in plenary. Participants wrote their questions down
  • In 3 groups: the experts rotated between sub-groups to answer questions and exchange views with the participants.

Media used

The experts interviewed:

  • Christophe Niessen has a doctorate in political science and specialises in multi-level governance and deliberative democracy. He was involved in the construction of the permanent citizens’ dialogue (as an expert) and is himself from the German-speaking Community.
  • Julien Piérart has a doctorate in sociology. He has worked for the Service Public de Wallonie for 10 years, in the Sustainable Development department
  • Anne-Emmanuelle Bourgaux is a professor of constitutional law at the Universities of Mons and Brussels. Her research focuses on the relationship between law, democracy and federalism.

Session 2: Identifying the first possible solutions

Date: 3 December 2023

How we worked: 

  • Plenary presentation by Prof. Jean-Benoit Pilet on the challenges of participation. Questions and answers.
  • In groups: participants are invited to draw on their personal experience to identify which issues they would like to contribute to the decision-making process and how.
  • Back to the plenary session to share an overview of the solutions found

Media used

Expert interviewed

Jean-Benoit Pilet, Professor of political science at the Université libre de Bruxelles. Co-author of the critical report on citizen participation “Écouter la voix du citoyen, du mouvement participatif à l’isoloir“.

Session 3: Exploring and formulating recommendations

Date: 14 January 2024

How we worked: 

  • Explore the issue in greater depth in 3 thematic groups
    • Ongoing civic dialogue in the German-speaking community 
    • Existing participation mechanisms in Wallonia
    • Inventing new ways of involving citizens
  • In each of the 3 groups, participants were given information cards and speakers specific to the sub-theme covered, as resources for further reflection and answering questions.
  • By the end of the day, each group had formulated draft recommendations on the sub-theme it was dealing with.

Media used

Experts interviewed

  • Anna Stuers, Representative for permanent citizen dialogue in the German-speaking community
  • 2 participants in the ongoing citizen dialogue in the German-speaking community
  • Jonathan Moskovic, Democratic Innovation Adviser to the Brussels Francophone Parliament
  • Francis Delpérée, Constitutionalist 
  • Julien Vrydagh, Political scientist
  • Yves Dejaeghere, Director of FIDE
  • Edouard Delruelle, Philosopher
  • Arnaud Ruyssen, Journalist

Session 4: finalising the recommendations

Date: 4 February 2024

Recording of the meeting: closed session, not recorded

How we worked: 

  • Cross-referencing the perspectives of the different thematic groups from the previous session to further develop and finalise the recommendations
  • Share any objections participants may have to the recommendations and find compromises to overcome these objections

Media used

Session 5: Examining amendments and voting on recommendations

Date: 5 February 2024

How we worked: 

  • Citizens take ownership of the amendments tabled: prepare questions and comments for the plenary session
  • Examination and discussion in plenary of the amendments tabled.
  • Vote on amendments and recommendations

Media used

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