Participatory and Digital Democracy at the Local Level: European Discourses and Practices

Foreword
References
Acknowledgements
Contents
Notes on Contributors
Introduction: Local Participatory Democracy, Discourses, and Practices in Digital Age
References
Part I: Participatory Democracy in the European Union
Participatory Democracy as Practice: Actors and Discourses
1 Introduction
2 The Social Practices Approach
2.1 Heideggerian Equipment and Wittgensteinian Language Games
2.2 Definitions and Articulation of Social Practices
3 Participatory Democracy as a Set of Social Practices
3.1 PD Discourses Held by Citizens
3.2 PD Discourses Held by Civil Servants
3.3 NGO Participatory Democracy Discourses
3.4 Digital PD Discourses
3.5 Normative and Performative Effects of PD Discourses
3.6 The Value Added of Social Practices Approach to the Study of the Participatory democracy
4 Conclusion
References
Evolution of the Legal Framework in Europe for the Use of Digital Participation at the “Local” Level: The French Case
1 Introduction
2 The Problematic Recourse to Digital in the Environmental Field
2.1 What Is at Stake? The Right of Each Person to Participate in Decision-Making Processes That Are Likely to Affect the Environment
2.2 The Increased Recourse to Digital Tools
2.2.1 Ordinary Law
2.2.2 Covid Crisis Law
2.3 The Affirmation of a Key Player: The National Commission on Public Debate (NCPD)
3 The Integration of Local Digital Participation in a Booming Legal Framework
3.1 Personal Data Protection
3.2 Sincerity Principle
3.3 Transparency Principle, Toward an Open-Source Obligation?
4 Conclusion
References
European Free Mobility and Participatory Democracy: Knowledge and Digital Technology as a Bridge
1 Introduction
2 Traveling Citizenship: Toward an Identikit of Mobile European Citizens
3 EUReKA: A Key Access to EU Rights
4 PRODEMO: Promoting Democratic Engagement Through Mobile Participation Project
4.1 EU Mobile Citizens and Political Rights: Legal Framework
4.2 Knowledge to Promote Political Participation: PRODEMO Project Survey
5 Conclusions: With the Young People Toward the European Participation
References
Youth and Democracy: Digital Opportunities for the Future of Participation
1 Introduction
2 Understanding the Youth and Its Participation and Current EU Youth Policies
3 Engaging the Youth Through E-Participation Tools
3.1 Methodological Notes
3.2 E-Participation Tools: What Works?
3.3 Youth Participation in Krakow, Leiden, and Trieste
4 Conclusion
References
Untitled
Freedom of Speech and Democratic Values in the Digital Epoch: A Critical Perspective on the Post-totalitarian Media Culture
1 Introduction
2 Freedom of Speech as a Social and Cultural Value in Postmodern Society
3 Conclusion
References
The Relationship Between Participatory Democracy and Digitalization in Europe: Is There an East-West Divide?
1 Introduction
2 The Participatory Democracy-Digitalization-Development Nexus: Conceptualization and Theoretical Framework
2.1 Participatory Democracy
2.2 Digitalization
3 The Interconditionalities Between Institutions, Digitalization, Participatory Democracy, and Development
4 Is There an East-West Division in Terms of Participatory Democracy and Digitalization?
5 Conclusions
References
Differences and Similarities in Local Participative Governance in Slovakia and Lithuania
1 Introduction
2 Local Municipality in Slovakia
2.1 Main Bodies of the Local Municipality
2.2 Advisory, Control, and Proactive Bodies of Local Municipalities
2.3 New Forms of Local Governance
3 Local Municipality in Lithuania
3.1 Main Bodies of the Local Municipality
3.2 Participatory Budgeting
3.3 Participative Planning
3.4 IT Tools: Applications for Citizens
4 Similarities and Differences
References
Part II: Digital Tools for Democracy 4.0
Online Citizens’ Consultations for More Democracy in Europe: EuropaNova’s Experience Since 2018
1 Introduction
2 2018–2019, the First Tools for Hybrid Mobilization of Citizens
3 2020–2021, Exclusively Online Consultations Leading to a Decline in Participation
4 Conclusion
References
(Dis)empowering Citizens at the Local Level in Bulgaria: Digitalization, Local Democracy, and Participatory Practices Before and Post-COVID-19
1 Introduction
2 COVID-19 Has Been a Catalyst for the Shift from Offline to Online Forms of Participation at the Local Level
3 Theoretical Framework
3.1 Citizen Participation
3.2 E-Democracy and E-Participation
4 Legal Framework and Practice of Citizens’ Participation at the Local Level in Bulgaria 2009–2021
4.1 The Local Political Context in Bulgaria
4.2 Mode and Instruments for Citizens’ Participation at the Local Level
4.3 Local Direct Participation
4.4 Use of Direct Participation Instruments
5 Citizens’ Participation at a Local Level in Times of Pandemic
6 Case Studies
6.1 Case Study: Pilot Participation Budget in Sofia in COVID-19 Times
6.2 Case Study: Citizens’ Engagement on Facebook – The Municipality Vratsa
6.3 Case Study: Digital Citizens’ Consultations
7 Conclusion
References
The Conditions of Social Learning in Formal Deliberative Settings: A Study of Municipal Councils in Brussels
1 Introduction
2 Research Context and Methods
3 Conditions of Social Learning in Municipal Council Deliberations in Brussels: Results of the Thematic Analytics
3.1 Micro-level Conditions of Social Learning
3.2 Meso-level Conditions of Social Learning
3.3 Macro-level Conditions of Social Learning
4 Conclusion
References
Could Facebook Save Cities? The Case of “Save Sofia”
1 Introduction
2 Digital Realism
3 Urban Democracy
4 “Save Sofia” or “Save Sofia from ‘Save Sofia’”
5 Conclusion
References
Untitled
Digital Transformation in Local Municipalities: Theory Versus Practice
1 Introduction
2 Transformation of Local Governance to Digital Local Governance
3 Material and Methods
4 Research Findings and Discussion
4.1 Benefits of Local Smart Governance
4.2 Tools of Local Governance
5 Conclusion
References
Untitled
Digital Best-Bid: Internet Voting for the French Abroad?
1 Introduction
2 The Paradox: Outstanding Representation, Low Turnout
3 Internet Voting, a Temporary Yet Long Experiment
4 Internet Voting, for the Best or Simply Better or Perhaps Worse?
5 Conclusions
References
Part III: Participatory Budgeting: Discourses and Realities
Participatory Budgeting: Behind the Words, the Euros. Empirical Study of 4043 Projects in Paris (2014–2021)
1 The Citizen, from Simple User to New Stakeholder for Project
1.1 Urban Projects?
1.2 Vox Populi, Vox Dei?
2 The Participatory Budgeting at the Service of the New Public Management
2.1 The Citizen as Arbiter
2.2 The Support of Civic Techs (or “Civic Technologies”)
2.3 The Levels of Citizen Involvement
3 Which Relationship Between Projects and Allocated Participatory Budgets?
3.1 Open-Source Data Format
3.2 Word Clouds Describing the Winning Projects
3.3 Valuation of the Projects Carried Out: The Cost of the Actions
4 Participatory Budgeting: Citizen Involvement or Manipulation?
4.1 Under the Discourses, the Acts
4.2 Rethinking the Integration of the Citizen in the Project
References
Untitled
Untitled
ICT Use in Municipal Participatory Budgeting in Czechia: Similar Patterns or Heterogeneity?
1 Introduction
2 Participatory Budgeting and ICT
3 Participatory Budgeting Context and Research in Czechia
4 Use of ICT in Municipal PB in Czechia: Our Methodology
5 Use of ICT in Municipal PB in Czechia: Findings
5.1 What Types of Czech Municipalities Work with PB?
5.2 Web Pages Used for PB
5.3 Information on PB Available Online
5.4 E-Participation Tools Used
6 Concluding Remarks and Points for Future Research
References
Digitalization, Co-production, and Participatory Budgeting at the Local Level in Slovakia
1 Introduction
2 The Development of E-government in Slovakia with a Focus on the Local Level
3 The Electronization of the Slovak Public Administration System
4 Digital Solutions and Local Co-creation Initiatives
5 Digital Solutions and Participatory Budgeting
5.1 Hlohovec
5.2 Trnava
5.3 Košice KVP
6 Summary: The Role of Private Companies in “Electronization” at the Local Level
7 Conclusions
References
The Impact of Online Technologies on Participative Practices: Learnings from Digital Participatory Budgeting in German Local Governments
1 Introduction
2 Theoretical Framework
2.1 Participatory Budgeting as Democratic Innovation
2.2 Critical Perspectives on Participation
2.3 The Impact of Online Technologies on Participatory Budgets
2.4 Analytical Framework
3 Participatory Budgeting in German Local Governments
3.1 The Introduction of Participatory Budgeting to Germany
3.2 Data and Methodology
4 Results
4.1 Transferability and Process Reliability
4.2 Inclusiveness and Representativity
4.3 Expertise and Considered Judgment
4.4 Transparency and Accountability
4.5 Motivation and Viability
5 Discussion
References
City as a Platform and the Role of Participative Democracy in Big Romanian Cities
1 Introduction
2 Platforms and Public Administration/Institutions
3 Government as a Platform
4 Government as a Platform and Participation
5 Cluj-Napoca City as a Platform
5.1 European Context
5.2 National Context
5.3 Cluj-Napoca Case Study
5.4 Participatory Mechanisms in Cluj-Napoca
5.4.1 Participatory Budgeting
5.4.2 Centre for Innovation and Civic Imagination (CIIC)
5.4.3 Consultative Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in IT
5.4.4 Innovation Camp
5.4.5 Strategic Development Plans for the City
5.4.6 MyCluj
5.4.7 Transylvania Living Lab
5.4.8 Transylvania Digital Innovation Hub
6 Conclusion and Limits
References
Part IV: Evolution and Perspectives
Benefits of Remote Work in the Self-Service Model in the Public Utility Sector
1 Introduction
2 Determinants of the Reorganization of the Form of Work to Be Performed Remotely
3 Co-production and Self-Experience as Challenges in the Provision of Public Services
4 Challenges and Opportunities Areas of Remote Work in the Public Utility Sector
5 Conclusion
References
The Digital Transformation of Local Democracy During the Pandemic
1 Introduction
2 The Digital Transformation and COVID-19
3 The Quality of E-Democracy During COVID-19
4 Local Democracy and Digital Transformation
5 Digital Transformation in the Sphere of Local Authorities in Bulgaria
6 Conclusion
References
The COVID-19 Crisis: An Accelerator of Digital Democracy?
1 Governing and Informing in Times of COVID-19
1.1 Manage the Pandemic
1.2 Information, Trust, and Pandemic
2 Democracies at Risk?
2.1 A Test for Democracies
2.2 Citizenship and Elections
3 Pandemic: Digital and Local Democracy
3.1 Digital During the Pandemic
3.2 The Revenge of the Local
4 Conclusion
References
Democratic Innovation in Europe: Conditions for Ethical Participatory Practices
1 Introduction
2 Scales and Modes of Democratic Innovation
2.1 Innovating in Scale: Transnational Participatory Democracy
2.2 Innovating in Mode: The Digital Turn
3 Challenges Facing Participatory Practices and Their Root Causes
3.1 Some Key Issues Across Scales and Modes of Democratic Innovation
3.2 Institutional Boundaries and the Participatory Facade
4 Towards a Framework for Ethical Participation
4.1 The Added Value: The Red Line of Participation
4.2 A Framework for Ethical Participation
5 Conclusion
References
Index