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Petitions in Saarland: Record decline causes concern!
Fewer and fewer petitions in Saarland: only 132 submissions in 2024 - reasons and effects on citizen participation in focus.
Petitions in Saarland: Record decline causes concern!
In Saarland there is a worrying decline in petitions to the state parliament. Only 132 petitions were registered in 2024, representing a decrease of 35 petitions compared to the previous year. This is the lowest level in a decade and is surprising given previous figures. In 2015 there were 240 petitions and in the first Corona year 2020 there were even 281 petitions. The trend clearly shows that the number of petitions has decreased significantly since 2020 S.R reported.
Petra Fretter, chairwoman of the Submissions Committee, sees several reasons for this decline. According to Fretter, petitions have lost their importance in public and younger people are increasingly turning to social media to be heard. In addition, many citizens do not seem to be aware that they have the opportunity to contact the state parliament directly. Petitions can be submitted easily by post, email or via an online form, with the only requirement being that you provide your name and address. A minimum number of supporters is not necessary, as is also made clear on the state parliament's website landtag-saar.de.
Right to petition in Saarland
The right to petition is anchored in Article 17 of the Basic Law and incorporated into Article 78 of the Saarland constitution. The Submissions Committee has the authority to decide on requests and complaints to the state parliament. The committee's options also include including petitioners and requesting information from the state government. However, it remains to be seen whether the decline in petitions will also have an impact on the functioning of this institutional codetermination.
The diversity of topics in the petitions shows that most of them are aimed at the Ministry of Social Affairs. Other items on the agenda concern important areas such as education and transport. Should a petition be submitted, petitioners can expect an initial response within up to six weeks. However, not every petition leads directly to change; however, it can provide impetus for discussions and possible reforms.
Citizen participation in transition
The decline in petitions could be part of the larger context of social change. The term “citizen participation” is complex and includes both formal and informal co-determination processes. lpb-bw.de describes that the political engagement of citizens has changed. In recent decades, the focus has shifted from traditional voter participation to unconventional means such as citizen initiatives and social movements. These changes reflect broader dissatisfaction with existing political institutions, which often no longer enjoy the trust of citizens.
Although support for democracy as a form of government remains almost constant, trust in the results and institutions has fallen significantly. This suggests that many citizens are looking for new ways to voice their concerns and actively intervene in politics. The question remains how politicians will react to this development and how citizens can be won over to the structured right to petition again.
The Petitions Committee remains an important point of contact for making your voice heard. How the topic was treated in the “current report” on SR television on October 22, 2025 illustrates the ongoing relevance of this discussion.