With less than four months of the presidential election, the French are sending a message: they no longer wish to be mere spectators of the public debate but rather want to contribute to it.
In any case, this is what an Opinionway poll, commissioned by the Etat d'Esprit agency, specializes in citizen consultation for public action shows.
To discover
Presidential 2022: where are the candidates in the polls?
Read alsoPresidential 2022: the candidates work on questions of participatory democracy
According to this study, the theme of participatory democracy is dear to many citizens.
83% of them thus claim to do more to make a contribution to the edifice of public life.
"
It is a phenomenon which is reinforced more and more
", observes Grégoire Milot, president and founder of State of Spirit.
The sympathizers of the left and the RN more sensitive to the question
In detail, this grievance reflects a feeling shared by all socio-professional categories, with an emphasis on youth and people living in rural areas.
"
These are audiences rather far from participation,
" says Grégoire Milot.
The supporters of the left are also the most demanding - 92% on the side of La France insoumise -, as well as those of the National Rally (90%).
“
It is rather the sympathizers of the extreme parties who have the feeling that their ideas are not represented in the assemblies.
They are therefore looking for other ways to express themselves,
”analyzes the founder.
Read also Abstention: to involve citizens, elected officials are engaged in participatory democracy
Praised by the French, participatory democracy could well turn into an electoral issue. After the personality of a candidate (80%), a program containing a better association of citizens to projects and public decisions (73%) is the main incentive to vote in the presidential election.
But the theme is still little used by the various candidates, and it is therefore a question of being vigilant.
As Grégoire Milot points out, these data show a “
total gap
” between “
elected officials, decision-makers and the general public
”.
“
Candidates often bring up the themes and things they want to put in place.
But we must also address the question of method.
Citizen participation is not an end in itself, but a means of carrying out the proposed actions
”, argues the specialist.
To read also Guillaume Tabard: "Citizen participation or improvisation?"
Among the possible avenues for strengthening the role of the citizen, several possibilities have been put forward.
Like the stronger obligations of local authorities to involve citizens in local projects (wanted by 79% of respondents), the organization of public debates on the major five-year laws (74%), due to facilitate the implementation of citizens' initiative referendums (73%), the possibility of obtaining information and reacting online on all draft laws (72%) or even the participation of citizens drawn by lot. the National Assembly (59%).
To read also Guillaume Tabard: "Participatory democracy has yet to prove its worth"
Grégoire Milot warns, however: faced with this need for participation, we must find the right tools and know how to handle them with caution.
If the Citizen's Climate Convention has been praised in form, the use made by the executive has been widely criticized.
And it is therefore essential to "
properly identify the themes, the subjects, the scenarios
", so that the exercise is "
framed
".
“
Doing consultation is risky.
It is not that asking yes or no, it is also listening, exchanging and developing a project,
”explains the President of State of Mind.
Proof that the disenchantment is already there: 68% of French people judge, in advance, that all this is useless and that their opinion will not be taken into account.