From Porto Alegre to Europe: Potentials and Limitations of Participatory Budgeting

Participatory budgets have been one of the most successful participatory instruments of the past 15 years. Ever since it was invented in Latin America, it spread over the entire globe. In Europe, participatory budgets emerged simultaneously in seven, mainly Western European countries. Procedures are currently underway or are at a preliminary stage in four further countries. Altogether, at the end of 2005, there are more than 50 European cities with a participatory budget. Among them are large cities, such as Sevilla in Spain with more than seven hundred thousand residents or districts of the capital cities London, Paris, Rome and Berlin. However, there are also medium-sized cities, such as Hilden and Emsdetten in Germany and small communes, such as Grottamare or Altidona in Italy.