Petitions to the state parliament, which in principle anyone can submit, should become “more open” and easier to support: from next year, petitions should be visible on the state website and also be supported online by others, the state parliament parties agreed. The SP wants to go further: Similar to what Vienna is planning, citizens’ petition rights should be expanded, says SP club chairman Michael Lindner (Picture). “It’s a contribution to more direct democracy,” he says. The right to petition is “a direct line to the country house.” Petitions are assigned to the responsible committee – its meetings, like those of the state parliament, “should be public and broadcast on the Internet,” Lindner wants. People should be able to present and justify their petitions personally in the committee, which has not been possible so far.
Most petitions currently come from municipalities.
Source: Nachrichten
