Ecolo is proposing a sweeping reform of Wallonia’s regional popular consultations to make citizen participation more accessible.
Since the adoption of the July 2018 special decree intended to bolster participatory democracy in Wallonia, no regional popular consultations have taken place, nor have citizens initiated any. Ecolo argues the current system is too restrictive and dissuades engagement.
The reform proposal, set to be reviewed in the Walloon Parliament’s General Affairs commission, suggests halving the signature threshold for launching a consultation—from 60,000 to 30,000.
Ecolo also wants to simplify the process of gathering signatures across electoral districts, making the mechanism more accessible. Stéphane Hazée, Ecolo’s parliamentary leader, explained this would reduce barriers to participation.
The plan introduces a preliminary validation step after collecting 1,000 signatures, addressing the risk that months of citizen effort are wasted if consultation questions are deemed invalid later in the process.
Additionally, the proposal seeks to allow local and regional consultations to take place simultaneously, enhance administrative efficiency, and improve public awareness efforts.
Ecolo is calling for the abolition of the special financial regime that favours political parties. Currently, parties can contribute up to 10% of the funding allocated by the regional parliament, whereas individual citizens face a cap of €500.
“Popular consultations should be a genuine tool for participation, not an obstacle course,” Hazée remarked. “Our goal is to empower citizens by lowering thresholds and simplifying procedures.”
He concluded by affirming Ecolo’s broader objective: to revitalise democracy and give citizens the opportunity to weigh in on matters that affect them outside of election cycles.
