Keywords
citizens’ assemblies
supralocal governance
democratic innovations
How to Cite
Abstract
This article addresses this gap by analyzing the first supralocal citizens’ assembly in Poland, organized by the Upper Silesia-Zagłębie Metropolis (Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia, GZM). Drawing on deliberative democracy theory, policy documents, and empirical material, including data from a World Café workshop with practitioners and scholars, the study examines the institutional design, implementation dynamics, and policy relevance of this pioneering initiative. We argue that the GZM Citizens’ Assembly represents a conceptual and institutional shift from local to supralocal deliberative governance, involving specific administrative, political, and territorial challenges. These challenges include ensuring inclusive representation across municipalities, embedding the process within strategic policymaking structures, and fostering inter-municipal collaboration. The case illustrates both the potential and the complexity of scaling deliberative practices. Overall, the study contributes to debates on democratic innovation and resilience by demonstrating how supralocal citizens’ assemblies can serve as laboratories for participatory governance in unitary states as Poland.
Funding
This study is funded by the research grant “Deliberative Innovations as a Panacea for Democracy in Crisis in CEE” Sonata Bis NCN nr UMO-2021/42/E/HS5/00155.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Paulina Pospieszna, Joanna Podgórska-Rykała, Marta Hoffmann, Ewa Zielińska
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