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Borken in dialogue: Citizens shape the future at a large citizens' festival!
On January 18, 2026, 150 Borken citizens will discuss urban development in a citizens' dialogue at the Democracy Festival in Borken.
Borken in dialogue: Citizens shape the future at a large citizens' festival!
Last Saturday, around 150 citizens met in the town hall in Borken for an exciting citizen dialogue. Here the participants were given the opportunity to exchange their opinions about the advantages and disadvantages of their city. It was a diverse audience who didn't necessarily know each other beforehand, but that didn't stop the lively discussion. The aim of this dialogue was to pass on ideas and suggestions from citizens directly to the mayor, in the hope that these approaches will result in concrete measures. Borken newspaper reports on the lively atmosphere that prevailed in the town hall.
The citizen dialogue took place as part of the “Democracy Festival”, which pursues a broader goal: promoting citizen participation and thus creating trust in local democratic processes. This festival offers a space in which frustration, anger, disappointments and powerlessness can be transformed into new perspectives and concrete ideas. On February 7, 2026, the title “DemoCrazy – has everyone gone crazy?” further events will take place that deal with these topics. Borken.de invites everyone interested to take part and become a “Borken ambassador”.
Commitment to a vibrant democracy
The EU-funded EUARENAS project aims to strengthen democratic participation at local level. It aims to promote trust in democracy and address increasing apathy among the population. More and more people feel excluded from political processes and see populist alternatives as a tempting solution. Cordis.eu highlights that it is time not only to actively involve citizens, but also to shape the political system so that it works for people.
The challenges are diverse: inequalities and fears of social and economic changes are driving many to political apathy. The EUARENAS project is therefore tasked with developing suitable strategies to counteract these developments. This also includes examining innovative approaches such as participatory budgeting and digital tools that are intended to improve collaboration between residents and local governments.
The goal of all of these initiatives is clear: diversity, inclusion and active citizen participation. But this requires long-term strategies, while many local governments are often subject to short-term election cycles. A trusting relationship between the administration and citizens is essential to enable real dialogue and promote networking in the community.
The “Democracy Festival” and the adjacent projects are not only a call to help shape the city of Borken, but also an important step towards a more vibrant and inclusive democracy at the local level. The upcoming events offer citizens an excellent opportunity to raise their voices and play an active role in shaping their city.