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According to SDP party secretary Antton Rönnholm, a debate initiative could bring representative democracy closer to the everyday lives of its citizens. MAGAZINE / Martti Kainulainen
The SDP is preparing a proposal for a new kind of debate initiative that would make it easier for policy-makers to raise the concerns of citizens.
The debate initiative would give citizens the opportunity to have a topical discussion of the issue or issue without delay after gathering the required number of supporters.
In the model outlined in the SDP, discussion initiatives could be taken at municipal, provincial, parliamentary and EU level.
The SDP’s party government is due to present the introduction of a discussion initiative to the party conference in Tampere in two weeks’ time.
According to party secretary Antton Rönnholm, a debate initiative could bring representative democracy closer to the everyday lives of its citizens. According to him, the Debate Initiative could serve especially minority groups who may have difficulty getting their voices heard in the public debate.
– Citizens may have the experience that no one talks about their own concerns and that they are not addressed in political decision-making. This would provide a way to raise issues for discussion, Rönnholm told STT.
Better than a citizens’ initiative?
The initiative is similar to the citizens’ initiative already in use, but would be a lighter method, according to Rönnholm. A citizens’ initiative proposes a new law or the amendment or repeal of a specific law, which requires at least some legislative knowledge from the initiators. It would be easier to take a discussion initiative.
According to Rönnholm, a Debate Initiative could often be a more effective tool for initiators than a citizens’ initiative.
– Citizens’ initiatives always have a certain solution that should be implemented. Therefore, not all the different aspects involved can be taken into account in the process. In addition, some citizens’ initiatives cannot be supported or do not lead to a result because there is a constitutional or other problem, Rönnholm says.
The progress of a citizens’ initiative before Parliament requires the collection of at least 50,000 statements of support within six months. Details such as the number of supporters and time limits for the debate initiative have not yet been considered in the SDP, but according to Rönnholm, the number of supporters required for a parliamentary debate initiative could be lower than the 50,000 for the citizens’ initiative.
The number of supporters required in municipalities and provinces would be determined in proportion to their population.
– The Sote provinces have not yet been formed, so in that respect we are moving a little in advance, Rönnholm says.
According to Rönnholm, it might also be worth considering that 16-18-year-olds could take part in discussion initiatives. In this way, the voice of young people could be better reflected in politics, and politics could be brought closer to young people, whose turnout often remains low.
Initiatives in line with good practice
Rönnholm does not believe that the Debate Initiatives would overburden decision-making bodies. He also does not believe that Debate Initiatives would end up in the hands of one thing movements, forcing decision-makers to discuss the same themes time and time again.
– Of course, initiatives must be in accordance with good manners and not seek to offend any person or group of people. Such initiatives should not be considered, Rönnholm says.
At EU level, there is already a citizens’ initiative that requires the signature of a total of one million EU citizens in at least a quarter of the Member States.
With the current EU Citizens’ Initiative, citizens can ask the EU Commission to propose new legislation, but according to Rönnholm, the Debate Initiative outlined by the SDP would aim at the proposed debate in the European Parliament.