Euskadi (Basque Country) – Citizens’ Council (permanent)
A project led by: Arantzazulab and the Basque Government (Presidency and Department of Governance, Digital Administration, and Self-Government)
The deliberative wave around the world is entering a new phase: institutionalization. This means designing deliberative mechanisms embedded within the political system, whose activation does not depend on the momentary will of governments.
In the Basque Country, the collaborative governance framework developed at the end of 2025, as well as Law 1/2024 on Energy Transition and Climate Change, include deliberative mechanisms as a means of seeking broad agreements among citizens.
Within this framework, together with Arantzazulab and the Presidency and Governance departments of the Basque Government, we are designing a permanent mechanism that incorporates deliberative principles and their key features (civic lottery, rotation, informed deliberation), as well as lessons learned from international experiences and citizens’ assemblies held locally.
Image: Climate Citizens’ Convention, France, 2019
