Eimsbüttel District Assembly: Online participation for all citizens?

Eimsbüttel District Assembly: Online participation for all citizens?

The Eimsbüttel district assembly could soon experience a digital change! The FDP parliamentary group has submitted a courageous motion that would like to bring the meetings not only to the district office, but also to other places in the district. The goal? More citizen friendliness and inclusion! The idea is that in the future at least one meeting per year should take place in the regions of Lokstedt, Niendorf, Schnelsen as well as Stellingen and Eidelstedt. This should also give residents who do not live near the district office easier access to political decisions.

But that's not all! The district assembly is planning a hybrid model that will enable members to attend meetings virtually in exceptional cases. Benjamin Schwanke, the parliamentary group leader of the FDP, emphasizes that face-to-face meetings should not be abolished. Rather, online participation is intended to offer an additional option. This could also be an advantage for citizens who would like to conveniently present their concerns via video conference or take part in citizen question hours.

Financial support and transparency

To support the implementation of these plans, up to 2,500 euros will be made available for renting external rooms. Despite the desire for more transparency and digital options, the proposal to livestream the meetings was rejected. Experience during the Corona pandemic has shown that such broadcasts did not receive the desired response. Nevertheless, the FDP remains optimistic and sees the creation of transparent information options as an important step to counteract increasing populism.