It is time to face the challenges of our future with a fundamental enhancement of the demos, which must be a part of the political checks and balances, beyond the cross on the ballot paper every four or five years. That's why we argue in favor of Deliberative Democracy with the citizenry as the only sovereign, not only inaugurating a constant flow of deliberation via Citizens Assemblies (sortitioned by lot), but also with the right to veto decisions coming out parliament or even the right to initiate processes of legislation.

A quick receipt for Citizens Assemblies: must be -representive: sex, age, place of residence, socioeconomic status (graduation, profession etc.)

- sample volume: 200 -300.000 invitation:

- volunteers for lottery:

- selection by lot:

- assembly 35-150 (optionally with rotation)

Since 1980 there have been around 600 examples of citizens assemblies around the world, since 2010 up to 20-50/year: for example: Irish Citizens Assemblies 2012-2023, Germany 2023: „Nutrition“, France 2022 „End of life“, 2021 Bristol/UK „Covid recovery plan, since 2020 Bogota, 2019 East Belgium etc.

But the essential question is: Counseling versus Power of co-decision

That’s why, it is time for a new social contract in urban and rural municipalities, counties, existing nation states, and even the world as a whole. The original division of power (Legislative, Executive, Jurisdiction) (Montesquieu 1748) is no more sufficient, it has to be extended by a new fourth power, backed by the constitution: the Consultative.

That’s why we argue in favor of Deliberative Democracy with the citizenry as the only sovereign inaugurating a constant flow of

deliberation via Citizens Assemblies, sortitioned by lot, to form a Demopolis, that "...opens one's eyes to the degree of cooperativeness that communicatively socialized subjects must expect of the use of their rational freedom.“ (Jürgen Habermas. Auch eine Geschichte der Philosophie. Berlin 2019, p 14)

„Ändere die Welt. Sie braucht es.“ „Change the World. She needs it.“ (Bertolt Brecht. Die Maßnahme 1930)