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Specialist day on citizen participation: Help shape Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania!
At the specialist day on citizen participation on November 4th in Schwerin, experts will discuss how to strengthen political participation in MV.
Specialist day on citizen participation: Help shape Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania!
On November 4th, 2025 the time has come - the specialist day "Strengthening citizen participation. Perspectives for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania" will take place in the Wichernsaal Schwerin. The aim of this event is to improve citizen participation in the region and to integrate it into politics and administration in the long term. Anyone who thinks that only the usual suspects are invited is wrong. Representatives from civil society, science and administration are also warmly welcome. Schwerin.news reports that the event is organized as part of the “Citizens’ Councils for MV” project, which is funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation and implemented by fint – Leadership, Innovation, Transformation gGmbH.
The aim of the project is to promote a culture of dialogue and to make innovative, lottery-based citizens' councils known. Citizens' assemblies should specifically involve those people who often have no voice in the political landscape and make well-founded recommendations on complex issues. The specialist day begins at 12:30 p.m. with a small lunch, followed by a welcome from Uta Rüchel, the project manager of “Citizens' Councils for MV”.
An exciting program
Participants can look forward to an interesting lecture by Prof. Dr. Corinna Kröber from the University of Greifswald will look forward to examining political science perspectives on citizen participation. Jörg Sommer from the Berlin Institute for Participation will then speak about the importance of the culture of participation for society. Social Affairs Minister Stefanie Drese will also give a welcoming speech and take part in a fishbowl discussion, which is sure to be lively.
In addition, practical examples from Marco Trunk from the Hanseatic city of Wismar and Martin Ramp from Neubrandenburg will be presented. Marvin Fischer from the Saxon State Ministry will also play an important role, explaining how citizen participation can be promoted at the state level. The event ends with a panel discussion about the structural anchoring of citizen dialogues, including Fischer, Trunk and Arp Fittschen from the MV Association of Cities and Municipalities.
New laws for more participation
But citizen participation is not only the focus of the conference. A lot is also happening at the political level. On April 8, 2025, the cabinet discussed the draft of a new citizen and community participation law. After six weeks of the association hearing, which begins on April 9, 2025, various organizations can submit statements. The government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania emphasizes that this law is intended to promote acceptance of the energy transition.
In the future, operators of wind power and solar projects will have to negotiate with the affected communities about the type and extent of their participation. A binding framework for payments per kilowatt hour to municipalities and citizens will also be created. The goal is clear: simpler and more extensive participation of those who are directly affected by renewable energies.
The specialist day on November 4th will not only provide a platform for exchange about citizen participation, but could also serve as a springboard for numerous initiatives in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Anyone who is interested should register quickly and become part of this important discussion!