By Laurence Monnot and Andrea Sedlaczek, COMMIT
On 22 March, twenty citizens will meet in Vienna for the launch of the Austrian Citizens‘ Parliament on Media and Democracy to discuss and develop proposals for the future. Three more meetings will follow on 5 April, 26 April and 17 May.
A diverse panel of twenty people
Twenty people were selected from 140 applications to reflect the diversity and breadth of Austrian society in terms of age, gender, background, educational level and other characteristics. The participants are aged between 19 and 80 years and come both from urban and rural areas of Austria.
They all have their own ideas about how democracy can promote quality and open media and how the media can contribute to a better democracy. They also have individual expectations of the media. Building on their different perspectives, they will develop creative approaches to media policy through exchanges with experts and under the guidance of professional facilitators.
Media systems, participation and representation: Each Saturday is dedicated to one topic
Each session of the Citizens’ parliament is dedicated to one topic. The first session on March 22 covers the overall theme of Media and Democracy. It begins by familiarizing participants with the Citizens‘ Parliament as an instrument of deliberative democracy, its goals, and how to work together with other citizens. Expert Josef Trappel from the University of Salzburg will provide an overview of the interrelation between media and democracy. After an introduction to the topics of the following sessions, media systems and media regulation (April 5), participation in/through the media (April 26) and representation in the media (May 17), the participants will draft a preliminary list of issues on which they want to develop proposals.
Exchange with experts, deliberation, and adoption of resolutions
The following Saturdays will follow a similar pattern: two inputs will be offered by media experts and media practitioners. They will provide an overview of the different perspectives on the topic of the day, complemented by case studies from the Austrian media. During the subsequent discussion phase, the experts will be available for further questions. Afterwards, participants will draft and adopt resolutions.
Presentation of the results in June
The resolutions will be presented to media representatives, decision-makers, and the general public in Vienna in June.
As part of the EU research project MeDeMAP, Citizens‘ Parliaments will also take place in the Czech Republic, Ireland and Slovenia. The results of the four Citizens‘ Parliaments will be presented at the European Parliament in Brussels in February 2026.