Switzerland's Universities of Zurich and Geneva are embarking on a pioneering initiative called the 'Citizen Council 2025' project starting in November.

The project aims to explore innovative forms of democracy to address pressing social challenges.

The initiative, a collaboration between the University of Zurich (UZH), the University of Geneva (UNIGE), and the Centre for Democracy Studies in Aarau (ZDA), seeks to tackle Switzerland's politically deadlocked issues. A national citizen council is seen as a promising avenue for fostering respectful debate on contentious topics.

Selected in collaboration with political parties, the council will comprise 100 randomly chosen Swiss residents representing diverse demographics. Set to convene in Aarau, the council will deliberate on topics such as energy security, pension financing, Swiss neutrality, healthcare costs, and Switzerland's relationship with Europe.

Professor Dr. Daniel Kübler, co-initiator of the project at UZH, emphasized the non-partisan nature of the endeavor. "We are interested in scientifically examining the citizen council format in Switzerland," he stated. "Our focus is on understanding how a well-informed cross-section of the population views specific political solutions."

Scheduled from November 2024 to March 2025, the national citizen council project aims to reflect the diversity of Swiss society while ensuring the participation of individuals with varied perspectives. Photo by Roland zh, Wikimedia commons.