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Civil society - glue of democracy

Just 16 percent of EU citizens still trust in their political parties. At the same time, civil society enjoys a high reputation among the population. Does it have the potential to restore lost confidence and counteract the alienation of citizens from the state?

The economic crisis has not only given a powerful blow to economic growth in Europe. It also marks the turning point at which the confidence of Europeans in the institutions of the EU, as well as in their national governments and parliaments, has plummeted. An up-to-date Euro Barometer survey shows that only 16 percent of EU citizens in Europe trust their political parties, while they do not explicitly trust whole 78 percentages. Austria is one of those countries where the national parliament and the government still have a relatively high level of trust (44 or 42 percent). In any case, more than in the institutions of the EU (32 percent). On the other hand, the majority of those who have lost confidence in their national governments and parliaments, as well as in the EU institutions, outweigh the rest of the EU.

Trust in political institutions in Austria and EU (in percent)

civil society

The consequences of this crisis of confidence are not insignificant. Last year, right-wing populist, EU-critical and xenophobic parties emerged victorious in the European elections and the Old Continent was littered with mass protests - not only in Greece, Italy, France or Spain, but also in Brussels, Ireland, Germany or Austria People took to the streets because they feel abandoned by politics. People's dissatisfaction with their political representatives has long since reached a global dimension. For example, the CIVICUS State of Civil Society Report 2014 found that 2011 people in 88 countries, or around half of all states, participated in mass demonstrations. Given the current refugee crisis, high (youth) unemployment, extreme income and wealth inequality, coupled with weak economic growth, it is expected that the polarization of society will continue to worsen. It is not surprising then that one of the biggest concerns of modern democracies is the alienation of citizens from political processes. And if she is not, then she should be.

The question arises as to whether a democratic strengthening of civil society can counteract the polarization of society and the collapse of social cohesion. Does it have the potential to restore popular confidence and stop the renunciation of democratic values, human rights, social balance and tolerance? It can represent the idea of ​​participation, democracy and social justice much more credibly than the state and enjoys something that has long since been lost to political institutions: the confidence of the population.

"Civil society is consistently given more confidence than governments, business representatives and the media. We live in a time when trust is the most valuable of all currencies. "
Ingrid Srinath, Civicus

According to a representative telephone survey conducted by Marktforschunsginstitut market (2013), nine out of ten respondents attach great importance to civil society organizations in Austria and more than 50 percent of Austrians believe that their importance will continue to increase. At European level, a similar picture emerges: a Eurobarometer survey from 2013 on EU citizens' commitment to participatory democracy revealed that 59 percent of Europeans believe that non-governmental organizations (NGOs) share their interests and values. "Civil society is consistently given more confidence than governments, business representatives and the media. We live in a time when trust is the most valuable of all currencies, "said Ingrid Srinath, former Secretary-General of the CIVICUS Global Alliance for Civil Participation.

This fact is increasingly being taken into account by international organizations. For example, in its report on the future of civil society, the World Economic Forum writes: "The importance and influence of civil society is increasing and should be promoted to restore confidence. [...] Civil society should no longer be seen as a "third sector", but as an adhesive that holds the public and private spheres together. " In its recommendation, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has also recognized "the essential contribution of non-governmental organizations to the development and implementation of democracy and human rights, in particular by promoting public awareness, participation in public life and ensuring transparency and accountability to public authorities". The high-level European advisory body BEPA also attaches a key role to the participation of civil society in the future of Europe: "It is no longer about consulting and discussing citizens and civil society. Today, it is about giving citizens the right to help shape EU decision-making, giving them the opportunity to hold governments and governments accountable, "states a report on the role of civil society.

And the political weight?

Many Austrian NGOs are making an honest effort to participate in political decision-making and opinion-forming. "With our topics, we directly address the relevant decision-makers in administration (ministries, authorities) and legislation (National Council, state parliaments), make us aware of problems and propose solutions," said Thomas Mördinger from the ÖkoBüro, an alliance of 16 organizations in the field of human resources Environmental, nature and animal welfare. As part of its campaigns, WWF Austria also contacts parliamentary parties, ministries, authorities and political representatives at provincial and municipal level. The Asylkoordination Österreich, a network of foreigners' and refugee aid organizations, in turn operates a continuous exchange with the political parties, so that, for example, parliamentary questions are asked, which are inspired by the asylum coordination or even elaborated.

"On a formal level, the opportunities for participation in legislation in Austria are very limited."
Thomas Mördinger, eco-office

Although the exchange between Austrian politics, administration and civil society is a lively one, it is characterized by a high degree of arbitrariness. It takes place only on an informal basis and is limited to a few organizations. In most cases, the initiative comes from representatives of civil society. Thomas Mördinger from the ÖkoBüro gives an insight into the practice of this cooperation: "The ministries keep their own lists, which organizations are invited to comment. However, the review periods are often too short or so laid down for a deeper analysis of a legal text that they include classic vacation times. " While representatives of civil society can usually give opinions, there are no binding rules. "On a formal level, the opportunities for participation in legislation in Austria are very limited," continued Mördinger. This deficit is also confirmed by Franz Neunteufl, Managing Director of the non-profit organizations (IGO): "Dialogue is always random, punctual and long not as organized and systematic as desired."

"The dialogue is always random, punctual and not as organized and systematic as desired."
Franz Neunteufl, Representation of non-profit organizations (IGO)

At the same time, civil dialogue has long been an international standard. For example, the White Paper on European Governance, the Aarhus Convention and the Council of Europe call for a structured involvement of civil society organizations in the legislative process. At the same time, international bodies - whether UN, G20, or European Commission - present and regularly involve civil society organizations in official consultation processes.

Civil Society: The Deal

For Franz Neunteufl, the so-called "Compact" is a model example of a formalized and binding cooperation between civil society and government. This Compact is a written agreement between the state and civil society organizations governing the purpose and form of their involvement. For example, the Compact calls for the public to respect and safeguard the independence and goals of civil society organizations, to ensure that they are provided with resources in a rational and equitable manner and are involved in the development of political programs from the earliest possible date. Civil society, in turn, calls for a professional organization, solid evidence as the basis for its proposals for solutions and campaigns, the systematic identification and representation of the views and interests of its target group, and not least clarity about who they represent and who they are not.

With the conclusion of the Compact, the British government has committed itself to "giving people more power and control over their lives and their communities, and putting social commitment beyond state control and top-down policies." She sees her role primarily in "facilitating cultural change by giving power from the center and increasing transparency". So it is not surprising that England also has its own "Ministry of Civil Society".
In fact, about half of all EU Member States have developed such a document and have entered into a binding partnership with civil society. Austria is unfortunately not there.

NGO Austria

The Austrian civil society includes about 120.168 clubs (2013) and an unrecognizable number of charitable foundations. The current Economic Report Austria again shows that in the year 2010 5,2 percent of all workers in Austria were employed in 15 years in the non-profit sector.
The economic importance of civil society must not be ignored either. Although this is still not systematically recorded in this country, but still estimated according to the rules of art. For example, calculations by the Vienna University of Economics and the Danube University Krems show that the gross value added of the Austrian NGOs between 5,9 and 10 amounts to billions of euros per year. This corresponds to about 1,8 to 3,0 percent of Austria's gross domestic product GDP.

Photo / Video: Shutterstock, Option media.

Written by Veronika Janyrova

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  1. It is strange that neither the “Civil Society Initiative” nor the unfortunately silent “Austrian Social Forum” are mentioned, which are the largest cross-thematic platforms really independent NGOs. The big donations NGOs are more like companies and in the case of the “non-profit organizations” many are already integrated into the state system or close to the party.

    As far as the real situation in Austria is concerned, unfortunately a very superficial article.

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