Marc Thoulen: “Local officials and elected representatives must also learn to reach out to the citizens”

The 19 communes of Brussels (Belgium) were very active in European Local Democracy Week, showing their inhabitants that local democracy, in the words of Marc Thoulen, Director of the Association of Towns and Communes of the Brussels-Capital Region, “must be not only representative, but also participatory”.

Interview – 22.10.2008

Marc Thoulen receiving the Congress medal

awarded to Brussels as ELDW pilot city

Question: With over 70 events between 13 and 19 October, Brussels was one of the most active cities in this European Local Democracy Week. How did you manage to stimulate so much interest?

Marc Thoulen: Local elected representatives and officials in Brussels are driven, as they are elsewhere, by a desire to make their local authority services better known and get citizens involved in their functioning. But we reminded them that while they must encourage the public to discover local services and institutions, it is also for them to reach out to the citizens, because it is a two-way process. Above and beyond democratic principles, local elected representatives also have everything to gain from establishing dialogue because it helps to give concrete shape to projects and gain public acceptance for them.

Question: The programme was very wide-ranging, but what were its main thrusts?

Marc Thoulen: Above all, to discuss specific issues. Inviting members of the public to come and talk about local politics in general is of no interest to them; what really motivates them, however, is to discuss security, the environment or town planning. We therefore organised targeted meetings in line with the interests of people living in the different communes. What is more, we are showing the citizens who get involved in local projects that their involvement really serves a purpose: good governance also means involving the public in decision-making!

Question: Is debate the most appropriate means of bringing elected representatives and citizens together, or did you take any other initiatives?

Marc Thoulen: We also held open days at some local offices and meetings in town halls or markets. There were some activities of a more humorous nature, such as encouraging people to become “candidates” and to put up election posters expressing their own views, or “detective games” with the police for young people. School pupils participated in mock debates at the court and parliament of the Brussels Region. Lastly, we also, of course, organised walks so that local residents could discover the, in some cases, little-known features of their communes. And we already have a great many ideas for next year, to ensure that the next European Local Democracy Week is even more successful than this one!