The Democracy Program

1. The Democracy Program - A brief status for the period 2008 - 2010

2. The Democracy Program in brief THAT IS WHY THE DEMOCRACY PROGRAM IS NEEDED Is all about the new roles of local government! • The reform has fundamently changed the premises • The last four years has been about implementing and managing new tasks • Local government has been forced into a more reactive political role towards the adminidtration, the souroundings and the state The goal is to create foundation for debate, to develops tools, and exchanges experiences

4. What’s on the agenda? Political leadership

5. Time for politics (?) Greve municipality 2002: 64 meetings og 1196 cases 2008: 95 Meetings og 1671 cases • “When we have an agenda with more then 70 cases I fear that the political focus is lagging. We will not be able to undertake the political discussions that some cases deserve.” • - Local government member

6. Many are looking for tools to: Politicians experience: • More paper, more meetings and greater complexity • Local politicians are pressed for time • Its difficult to get (and keep) the general view • Identify the most important cases and areas of interest • Adapt the meeting form to the case • Get to the core – What is the political in a case?

7. The media and interest organisations • “Journalist use to do proper research. Now they just write something and sees what happens. It makes it a lot harder to be a local politician. Way to often we are left in a situation where we can do nothing but defend ourselves” • - Local government member

8. Many are looking for tools to: Politicians experience: • The media is more aggressive and press there own agenda • Interest organisations are more focused on the municipalities • How do we become better to use political communication offensively? • How do we communicate when a crisis hit?

9. Interaction with other municipalities We have to develop our regional role. It is here to stay so we may as well become good at it. We just haven’t had the energy yet” - Mayer We use to know and make most decisions ourselves. Now we have to think a lot more about what the neighbouring municipalities are doing” - Mayer

10. Many are looking for tools to: Politicians experience: • Need more insight in how the municipal and regional agenda interacts • Each municipality is measured according to how municipalities in general are performing • Get the regional perspectives integrated in the local government meetings

11. Political leadership “It is important that we revitalise the political aspects. The debate have been de-politicized. Its not values and interest that clinch anymore. We have to change that. Often it could just as well be civil servants who discusses the issues” - Local government member • “We have for a long time used words about local politics which are more suitable for a stream-lined service company. It does not leave much room for politics and political processes. We need a new balance. “ • - Municipal director

12. Politicians experience: Many are looking for tools to: • That it is necessary to find a good balance between • The short and the long run • Listening and being the markers of opinions • Guiding through the crisis and still develop the municipality • Take the debate in the local government about how to identify the political scope of influence within each political area

13. Contact with CitizensFinding the right balance “We are to much like a lodge. It will be the end of us if we don’t open up. It is important that we as politicians recognize that the citizen has resources we don’t have“ “We have to be careful not to be to accommodating in the dialogue with citizens. We have to have the courage to say no. It is important that we explain to them that our job is to prioritizes and we do have the courage to do just that”

14. Citizen interaction New arenas for interaction How to get young people interested in local politics Strong citizen groups take over the political proces

15. New arenas for interaction • The web-page is the most important means of communications for the municipalities • Predominatelyuse one way communication and portrays the municipality as a provider of service The web-page can be used as strategic tool in the interaction with citizens and as a means to create: • Increased transparency • A widerdialogue • A common frame for local communities

16. The municipality is also for young people! Do not feel like they are part of the municipal community Do not see the connection between local politics and the many activities and services they use Who is going to support the idea of municipal self rule in the future? Young peoples perspectives are needed in the decision making process One way communication and elections every four years is not enough

17. Strong citizen groups • “I have never before seen so well organized citizen groups. That’s the way of the future. We should not start a war. Om the contrary – we need to rethink the decision making processes” • - Municipal director • Very well organized groups of citizens takes over the political agenda with focus on specific areas of interest • They make communication and media strategies, analysis and know exactly how obtain maximum influence • They sidetrack the political decision making process and do not care about the entirety of issues • DANGER: The real political debate about prioritizing gets derailed before it even starts

18. Group discussion • Do you have some of the same challenges? • Are there parts of democracy program that would be especially relevant on Iceland? • If you had to identify four challenges related to citizen interaction what would they be? Politicalleadership

19. Follow the Democracy Program www.kl.dk/demokratiprogrammet