Baden-Württemberg's citizens are demanding more participation in politics!

Baden-Württemberg's citizens are demanding more participation in politics!

November 4th, 2025 brings exciting news from Baden-Württemberg. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann has brought a breath of fresh air into the country's political landscape with his policy of being heard. Citizen participation is now a central part of decision-making and inspires many people. According to teiligesportal.baden-wuerttemberg.de, 64% of those surveyed would like important decisions to be made by elected representatives using dialogue formats. A clear sign that people care about their voice and participation!

The feedback on the policy of being heard is particularly impressive: a whopping 84% of those surveyed are positive about this idea, and 97% would like this principle to be pursued further by the next state government. Despite a slight decline in satisfaction with democracy at the state level - the approval rate is currently 63% compared to 74% in 2021 - the high level of support for citizen participation is a positive signal. In the federal government, however, satisfaction with democracy has reached a low point: it fell from 65% in 2021 to 44% in 2025.

Citizen participation: An exemplary model

The continuous promotion of citizen participation in Baden-Württemberg since 2011 is seen as a model for all of Germany and Europe. This development was supported by the founding of the Alliance for Participation in 2012, the launch of the participation portal in 2013 and the law on dialogic citizen participation in 2021. The establishment of the Dialogue Citizen Participation Service Center in 2023 also shows that the state government is actively working to promote dialogue between citizens and authorities.

One reason for the positive feedback could also be the Democracy Monitor, which has been measuring attitudes towards democracy and citizen participation every year since 2021. Surveys carried out by forsa on behalf of the University of Hohenheim confirmed this trend and make it clear that the citizens of Baden-Württemberg have a good knack for democratic participation.

In conclusion, it can be said that the people of Baden-Württemberg feel the need to raise their voice in political decisions. The high level of support for the policy of being heard and the relatively high level of satisfaction with democracy compared to the national average are clear indicators that citizen participation has a high priority here. It remains to be hoped that the next state government will continue this commitment and include people in the decision-making process - because a vibrant democracy depends on the active participation of its citizens.