The City of Molières manages its municipal activities in a participatory manner structurally involving all residents in local decision-making.
CITIZENS CREATE POLICIES
The Citizens' Constitution of Molières emerged from the desire to create policies in local ecosystems, which involve citizens in the decision-making process. Since 2019, the Constitution formally reorganises the village. All projects are co-constructed, analysed, and implemented through six participatory institutions.
THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE CITIZENS' CONSTITUTION
The following are the institutions of the Citizens' Constitution: The "Council of Wise People" makes proposals, reports on issues, and participates in projects, while it is the role of the Extra-Municipal Commission and Municipal Council to co-constructs projects and publish information. The Municipal Council is also tasked with initiating and organising the citizens' decisions. The Thematic Advisory Committees and the Municipal Children's Council propose and implement initiatives and work on projects. To analyse and submit opinions on a project falls to the Citizen Jury.
A PARTICIPATIVE MUNICIPALITY
The city is the first French municipality to co-construct and put in place a Citizens' Constitution. It is one of the few cities in France that manages all municipal activities in a participatory manner. The constitution was, in fact, just one more step towards citizen involvement in Molières: it formalised the participation that was already taking place. Since then, citizen participation in political life has exploded – around 200 out of the 2,000 local inhabitants regularly take part in projects. An interest in a project or a specific topic has politically activated people to take part, who were politically inactive before. All residents can participate in the discussion, analysis, and implementation of the projects. The role of the mayor and the municipal council is to make decisions following the Citizens’ Constitution. The citizens themselves thus create the Municipality of Molières.
Building policies with an integration of the citizens in the decisions process. The aim is to make citizens more involved, and make them a part of a community. Democratic transition is the first transition – before all the others.
