3rd November 2021
Launched by the Parliament of Denmark in 2018, the Citizens’ Initiatives Scheme provides an official platform for Danish citizens to share and gather support for policy initiatives on the understanding that, if an initiative reaches 50,000 verified supporters, it will be debated in Parliament in the same manner as policy motions introduced by MPs. The scheme is unusual among similar systems in being highly automated, relying on existing and widely used online authentication systems, and permitting social media integration.
In this seminar, two officials from the Parliament of Denmark discuss the scheme, its development, its impact and its legal implications.
Speakers
David Kruse Lange is a legal adviser in the Legal Services Office. David was part of the team that developed the Citizens’ Initiative Scheme and is chiefly responsible for its day-to-day operation and for handling relations with a multitude of stakeholders, including the political level, members of the public, and technical service providers.
Anton Høj Jacobsen is a senior legal adviser in the Legal Services Office. Like David, Anton was part of the team that developed the scheme and was mainly responsible for drafting its legal framework, including on the processing in Parliament of successful citizens’ initiatives. He still follows the management of the scheme and is occasionally involved in specific decisions, e.g. on whether an initiative in is compliance with the rules governing the scheme.