Presentation on the “Politieke Markt Almere” en “raadspanel”

Presentation by

Jan Dirk Pruim,

Griffier of the city council Almere

Introducing myself…

City of Almere PO Box 200 1300 AE ALMERE

Jan Dirk Pruim

Registrar (Griffier)

City Council Almere T 036 - 539 9995

On the presentation

• The Netherlands• Politics in Almere• How citizens can excercise their influence in

Almere

The Netherlands

• Central government• Provinces• Municipalities

The Netherlands

• Provinces and municipalities can exercise real power and remain close to the people

• In 2002: separation of powers between the executive and council (dualism) at both provincial and municipal level.

• Goal: to boost the quality of government and public involvement

Polictics in Almere

City council: – 39 members– 10 parties– Mayor is presiding, if absent

member of council– Executive power to mayor and 6

deputy mayors (cabinet)

The role of the Council

• To represent their voters/the inhabitants of Almere

• To set policy frameworks• To check the excecutive power

The ‘Politieke Markt’

The ‘Politieke Markt’

• Meetings and decision-making on a weekly basis! Each Thursday as ‘evening of the City Council’

• Every Thursday evening from 19:00-21:00 simultanious meetings to prepare decision-making (the Carrousel)

• From 21:30 on plenary debate and decision-making

Four steady elements:

• Exhibition• The Carrousel• Debate• Decison making/voting

Exhibition

Exhibition

• Free in its form, outside the meeting rooms

• Just to show things that don’t need decisions

• Not political per se• Place for images• Easy to watch

The Carrousel

The Carrousel

• All preparation activities under one roof: research, interviews with civilians, hearings with the aldermen, technical questions towards specialists, special meetings, working groups, etc…

• Parallel in different rooms

Debate

Debate

• Each week an hour, if it’s needed• 2 issues maximum• Central meeting• Specific opponent appointed• No speaking from out of

comfortable chair, but in the arena

Decisionmaking/voting

Decisionmaking/voting

• The last 15 minutes each thursday• Yes or No• Short explanation of your vote• Majority voting

What brings the Politieke Markt?

• Transparency and easy to visit (“each Thursday I can meet my councellor”)

• Faster decisionmaking process• Councellors choose their best activity

of interest• No spoiled time for the public

watching 3 hours for a simple issue

How to influence

How could Almeerders influence the decision-makers of the City Councillors?• Approach the Councillors (at the PM,

letter, e-mail phone etc)• Giving an opinion on an agenda subject

(inspreken)• Citizens activity• Citizens initiative• City Council Panel• E-petition

What do you think?

City Council Panel Almere

People involved

• Less citizens are involved in politics• Knowledge from inhabitants is

important • To involve inhabitants is difficult

and takes time• Search for new ways for dialoge

between politicions and citizens• Using the internet makes it

possible

Goals city council

• Citizins more easily involved in political decision making process

• Regular advise of citizins on issues concerning Almere

• More people know about the political issues in Almere

• Solution: internetpanel

Asking people to join

• Slogan ‘We want advise’• On the market! • Newspaper• Internet• Cards & posters• Commercial

The panel

• We started in 2006• We have about 1700 active

members• 42% women, 58% men• 73% is head breadwinner• 59% higher educated• 44% married/living together with

cildren• Nicely spread over alle parts of

town

How does it work?

• A city council member has an opinion on a current topic

• Asking opinion of panelmembers • Doing research and report (in 1

week)• City council member uses outcome

in political debate/decision making• Local press use outcome for

reporting• Results can be of influence of

decision city council

What are the topics?

47 researches done, topics:– Use of chemicals in maintenance city– Shops open on sundays?– Building in parks?– Can our civil servants refuse closing

gay marriages? – Must we subsides professional

sportclubs?– Is giving emergency aid to foreign

countries a task of our municipality?

Additional effects of the raadspanel

1700 Almeerders:– Get involved in politics– Know the current issues in Almere– May be questioned on other matters

(political page in the newspaper and the awereness of ways of kunnen actief benaderd worden voor andere doeleinden)

– Discussions in their private environment

Additional effects Councillers

• Councillors have additional opportunity to learn from city

• Quick poll 'temperature' • Results to be used in debate or to feel

whether it's been to make political • Media almost always report on research

Reactions

• The questions are not good (when it suits them)• The questions are suggestive• It is an opposition tool• Panel board members are mostly supporters of

some political parties• We have chosen to make decisions and do

not need advice from people (only in elections)• No scientific test• Not al the inhabitants of Almere are thinking the

same way

Questions?

• More information: www.almere.nl/raadspanel

• Book: ‘Almeerders over Almere’: how do the different styles of citizenship think on the topics that have been submitted to the council panel