What is a Citizens' Assembly?
A Citizens' Assembly is a dialogue-oriented form of participation based on the exchange of opinions. Members are selected at random from the population in order to ensure that the sample is as representative as possible. This is to ensure that people from different social, economic and political backgrounds are represented. It is a promising format for engaging in substantive and respectful discourse within the population on a controversial or politically entrenched issue.
A Citizens' Assembly can show what an informed cross-section of the population thinks about a specific topic and possible solutions. At the end of the process, the members of the Citizens' Assembly draw up a final document in which they summarise the most important arguments, findings and recommendations on the topic. The document can serve as a contribution to a public debate or as a basis for decision-making by political decision-makers.
What is the topic of this Citizens' Assembly?
Over 40% of respondents would like the issue of rising healthcare costs to be addressed in the Citizens' Assembly - ahead of energy supply, neutrality policy, pension funding and European policy.
The topic of the Citizens' Assembly 2025 was determined by the Swiss resident population. In April 2024, 22,000 people from all over Switzerland were invited by letter to take part in the Citizens' Assembly 2025. When inviting potential members of the Citizens' Assembly 2025, each person invited had the opportunity to select one of the five topics mentioned above.
How does the Citizens' Assembly 2025 work?
The Citizens' Assembly brings together 100 people drawn at random. The events are professionally prepared and moderated. Great importance is attached to a pleasant and respectful atmosphere. Participants do not have to prepare anything before the Citizens' Assembly begins and receive all the necessary information on site and over time.
During the meetings, the members of the Citizens' Assembly listen to experts, ask questions, share their own opinions and exchange ideas with each other. The aim of a Citizens' Assembly is to discuss an important topic from as many perspectives as possible in order to develop viable solutions. At the end, they prepare the findings and proposals for politicians and the public.
When and where will the Citizens' Assembly 2025 take place?
The Citizens' Assembly 2025 will meet from autumn 2024 to spring 2025 on the weekends of
- 16/17 November 2024 in Zurich,
- 15/16 February 2025 in Neuchâtel and
- 29/30 March 2025 in Bern.
There will also be individual online meetings on Tuesday evenings (26 November 2024, 7 January 2025, 21 January 2025 & 11 March 2025).
Who will take part?
22,000 people over the age of 16 living in Switzerland were randomly drawn from the Federal Statistical Office's sample register. These people received a one-off, personalised invitation to take part in the Citizens' Assembly in April 2024. In a second step on 25 June 2024, 100 people were drawn from all the responses to take part in the Citizens' Assembly.
Why can't I apply to take part in the Citizens' Assembly?
To ensure that different points of view are included in a balanced way, it is necessary to reflect the breadth of society in the Citizens' Assembly. This is to be achieved through random selection. In this way, people who are not otherwise politically active, who do not take part in participation processes or who have never dealt with the topic of the Citizens' Assembly in depth can also be addressed.
Are members compensated for their participation in the Citizens' Assembly?
Members receive up to CHF 800 for their participation. In addition, expenses for all participants (travel, meals and accommodation) are covered. For validation purposes, all participants receive a certificate at the end of the Citizens' Assembly.
Who is behind the project?
The project is being coordinated by the University of Zurich and the University of Geneva via the Centre for Democracy Aarau (ZDA) to ensure the implementation of Citizens' Assembly 2025 and to provide scientific support. The two initiators of the project are Prof Dr Daniel Kübler (UZH) and Prof Dr Nenad Stojanović (UNIGE). The Citizens' Assembly is closely supported by representatives from national politics, civil society and academia.
What are the aims of this project?
The focus of interest is the question of the extent to which Citizens' Assemblies are suitable for conducting important social debates and counteracting the increasing hardening of political positions. The project aims to facilitate dialogue across language barriers and strengthen the cohesion of the population.
The implementation of a Citizens' Assembly as part of this research project is based on scientific standards and best practices. No content-related or political agenda is being pursued. The aim is to scientifically analyse the format of a Citizens' Assembly in Switzerland. Specifically, the project analyses to what extent and under what conditions it is possible to discuss a topic within a Citizens' Assembly from all the perspectives available in the population. Another question of interest is the extent to which a final document can contribute to depolarisation in society and improve the quality of the public debate.
How is the Citizens' Assembly financed?
The total project budget amounts to CHF 1.5 million and extends over 4 years (2022-2026). The budget covers the organisation and implementation of the Citizens' Assembly as well as one postdoctoral and one doctoral position at the University of Zurich. Most of the funding comes from the BRIDGE Discovery project, financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation and Innosuisse. The Mercator Switzerland Foundation is also supporting the project.
What does "Pnyx" actually mean?
The Pnyx was a rock formation in ancient Athens that served as a meeting place for political assemblies. It is located around 1.4 kilometres southwest of the Acropolis and provided space for thousands of citizens.