1 01:00:04,280 --> 01:00:06,559 Decision day with Sofie 2 01:00:06,559 --> 01:00:12,440 I am Sofie and today I am in Eberswalde, in Brandenburg, about 40km from Berlin. 3 01:00:13,599 --> 01:00:15,719 40,000 people live in this city. 4 01:00:15,719 --> 01:00:20,800 Everyone over 14 - whether or not they have a German passport - has the opportunity 5 01:00:20,800 --> 01:00:23,320 to vote on the citizens' budget today. 6 01:00:23,920 --> 01:00:29,840 Citizens' budget means that the residents themselves decide how the city should spend its money. 7 01:00:29,840 --> 01:00:34,360 They develop their own proposals and vote on them. And these are then also implemented. 8 01:00:35,239 --> 01:00:38,280 In Eberswalde we are talking about 100,000€ per year. 9 01:00:38,280 --> 01:00:45,639 That sounds like a lot of money! But it is only 0.6% of the budget that the city generally spends on investments. 10 01:00:45,639 --> 01:00:49,360 So €2.50 per inhabitant. 11 01:00:50,599 --> 01:00:52,800 Now we are standing in the town hall. 12 01:00:52,800 --> 01:00:57,159 Each of these vases represents a proposal for how people want to change their city. 13 01:00:59,000 --> 01:01:02,880 We apply for a grant for an honorary position to the "Waggon-Komödianten" e.V. 14 01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:07,119 We want to purchase a tent for the THW Youth Eberswalde. 15 01:01:07,119 --> 01:01:10,199 We are for the construction of a cultural site by the Save Your Culture Association. 16 01:01:10,480 --> 01:01:13,880 Full of cool project ideas that are examined by the city's specialist departments. 17 01:01:13,880 --> 01:01:17,519 A valid proposal must not cost more than 15,000 euros. 18 01:01:17,519 --> 01:01:20,519 Of course, the proposal must be implementable by the city. 19 01:01:22,920 --> 01:01:27,519 Everyone promotes their own proposal. All proposals are published in this Official Journal. 20 01:01:31,079 --> 01:01:33,360 Hello, what can I do here? 21 01:01:33,360 --> 01:01:38,159 Every person in Eberswalde who is entitled to vote receives 5 voting tokens from us, 22 01:01:38,159 --> 01:01:43,880 which they can then put in the various vases over in the hall and thus vote for various proposals. 23 01:01:43,880 --> 01:01:47,199 Since last year, you can also vote online in advance. 24 01:01:56,159 --> 01:01:59,559 What do live music and socks have to do with the citizens' budget? 25 01:02:00,440 --> 01:02:04,400 It's about making the process attractive, so that you encourage participation. 26 01:02:04,400 --> 01:02:08,840 If people can simply submit a proposal, if the voting process is simple, 27 01:02:08,840 --> 01:02:12,559 it is of course also part of it that you use modern communication and offer fun activities. 28 01:02:23,079 --> 01:02:25,239 What happens to the selected proposals? 29 01:02:25,480 --> 01:02:30,079 What the people of Eberswalde decide will be implemented afterwards. There is no longer a back door. 30 01:02:30,079 --> 01:02:34,239 Politicians can no longer change the decisions. The proposals are implemented as they are. 31 01:02:34,239 --> 01:02:40,119 That sounds great! To check it out, we met last year's winners. 32 01:02:40,800 --> 01:02:42,000 And so you won that? 33 01:02:42,000 --> 01:02:45,360 Yes, we think it's great that we won. The 15,000 euros came very easily. 34 01:02:45,360 --> 01:02:50,000 Now we can easily present our fire brigade with the beach flags, the pavilion or the stand-up tables. 35 01:02:50,000 --> 01:02:53,440 What did the last citizens' budget change for your association? 36 01:02:53,440 --> 01:02:58,039 The biggest change for our association has been that our visibility has increased enormously. 37 01:02:58,039 --> 01:03:03,920 We could almost triple our membership and are at about 70 members now. 38 01:03:03,920 --> 01:03:07,840 And one year later, we can present ourselves here and make an offer. 39 01:03:07,840 --> 01:03:11,480 I am now meeting with Finn-Eric from the youth association Wolke 6. 40 01:03:11,480 --> 01:03:17,199 His group has proposed setting up food donation corners in supermarkets. 41 01:03:18,119 --> 01:03:21,199 Why are you involved in the citizens' budget? 42 01:03:21,199 --> 01:03:25,000 I think it's good that we have the opportunity to have a say about city funds. 43 01:03:25,000 --> 01:03:30,559 And if projects don't get funded, the city may take them on anyway and push them through itself. 44 01:03:30,559 --> 01:03:33,719 that's a nice way to do our idea well. 45 01:03:33,719 --> 01:03:35,400 And you, what do you think about it? 46 01:03:35,400 --> 01:03:41,320 It's great that you can vote at 14 instead of 18 or 16 like in traditional elections. 47 01:03:41,320 --> 01:03:45,280 What do you think could be improved in the whole process for young people? 48 01:03:45,920 --> 01:03:49,440 To make online voting easier, 49 01:03:49,440 --> 01:03:55,480 because for online voting you need an identity card and many young people don't have one yet. 50 01:03:55,480 --> 01:03:59,960 Above all, the will in the administration is important so that more proposals are submitted 51 01:03:59,960 --> 01:04:02,239 and also so that they survive the examination process. 52 01:04:02,239 --> 01:04:07,159 Ideally, a full-time position should be created so that there is time to address the young people 53 01:04:07,159 --> 01:04:10,920 and all the local people and motivate them to participate. 54 01:04:11,559 --> 01:04:16,599 It would be really nice if this kind of citizen participation became more widespread. 55 01:04:16,599 --> 01:04:22,440 And it would be even cooler if the city administration entrusted more cash to its people.