With several countries around the world gradually easing the lockdown implemented to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, Giovanni Allegretti, researcher at the Centre for Social Studies (CES) of the University of Coimbra (UC) and coordinator of PEOPLES '- Observatory on Participation, Innovation and Local Powers -, states that it is important to «remind the political class that citizen participation in the reconstruction of society in the post-emergency period is fundamental».

In a reflection on the role of citizens after the pandemic, Giovanni Allegretti stresses that «obviously, participation will have to be rethought. People are afraid to be reunited in large groups, and are probably fed up with technology in their lives, but above all, they want to be heard on major issues, such as the reconstruction of the social state (particularly education and health) and the struggle against new inequalities and exclusions».

The CES researcher argues that Portugal cannot be left out of this debate. Several countries are already working on this. For example, «in France, a panel of 150 citizens randomly selected to be part of the “Citizen's Climate Convention” presented the Report “Contribution to the crisis exit plan”, while a hundred mayors, governors, intellectuals and social leaders sent to President Macron the petition “#NousLesPremiers: a democratic scenario for the world after”, which proposes a 3-stage plan, that would entail the direct involvement of people in the reconstruction of society and the economy».

In Spain as well, «the debate opened on how to follow the (controversial) proposal for a new “Moncloa Pact”, providing for the creation of panels of randomly selected citizens so that they can share their views on the planning of the “post-Covid era”, he further states.

In Italy, one of the countries around the world most affected by Covid-19, «cities like Milan, Bari or Naples have been opening their Resilience Plans to citizens, organising hubs to optimize spontaneous solidarity activities, and coordinating the more than 40,000 crowdfunding initiatives that were being financed during the emergency period», exemplifies the expert.

For a country like Portugal, «that has entered the world map of public participation with force, to which the national media has dedicated so much space, it is impossible to be left out of this debate», he argues.

«We are one of the few countries that has had hundreds of local participatory budgets and even three experiences promoted by the national government, and the RAP (Network of Participatory Autarchies) is unique in the European panorama. For two months, our formalized participatory processes were on stand-by mode, blocked by social distance and sanitary emergencies. But it is now time to distribute, share the reconstruction, channel the new forms of solidarity and playful activism that were born in the emergency, and to transform them into strategic activism», justifies the coordinator of the Observatory on Participation, Innovation and Local Powers.

Thus, continues Giovanni Allegretti, «for the “new world” to be really new, the State cannot act alone. Institutions are inertial and political elites do not have enough creativity to put themselves in the place of the many different people who make up our society. In order not to repeat the mistakes of the past, we do not need assistentialism or paternalism, but that citizens be recognised the right to participate, which was gain, during these months of collective tragedy, with responsible and proactive behaviours».

According to the researcher, «the State is above all responsible for setting up a tripartite reconstruction process (institutions, companies, communities), opening substantive spaces for citizens, and coordinating the levels of governments in a multilevel participatory path, which can immediately take advantage (at each administrative level) of so many ideas and co-management practices for common goods that have emerged in these months and - certainly - will emerge along the way».

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© Cristina Pinto | Press Office - University of Coimbra • Rectory | Science Communication