Mayor invites you to open consultation hours: Questions welcome in Beratzhausen!

Mayor invites you to open consultation hours: Questions welcome in Beratzhausen!

The next open citizens' consultation will take place in Beratzhausen on November 15, 2025. Mayor Matthias Beer invites all interested citizens to ask questions between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the farmers' market at Essenbügl. This citizen participation initiative was announced on November 6, 2025 and demonstrates the municipality's commitment to transparency and direct communication with citizens. The open consultation hours are part of a larger approach by Beratzhausen to use modern communication channels to improve the way citizens are addressed. Beratzhausen.com reports that…

Digital development and new technologies have not only changed everyday life, but also the political engagement of citizens. According to a survey, 67% of German citizens already use digital platforms for political activities. This trend is also visible in Beratzhausen, where Mayor Beer uses social media and digital formats to involve younger generations. With his TikTok channel (@tiktok_buergermeister), he offers humorous insights into city hall operations and addresses municipal issues in a way that particularly appeals to young people. The State Gazette highlights that…

Modern communication strategies

In Beratzhausen, Matthias Beer relies on an innovative communication mix that also includes podcasts. Together with an SPD mayor, he produces the podcast “Lerche & Bär”. The podcast offers a relaxed exchange about different political perspectives and thus promotes dialogue between citizens and the community. His courage to break new ground in political communication was even recognized with the Staatsanzeiger Award in the “Mayors in Mission” category.

These digital innovation approaches show a high level of response and make it possible to reach many citizens. The open consultation hour on November 15th is also an opportunity to meaningfully complement the digital channels for citizen participation established by Beer. As in other cities, digital platforms such as “Consul” and “Liquid Democracy” have the potential to have a major influence on political participation. In Hamburg, for example, over 45,000 citizens took part in designing the 2024 urban development plan via “Decide Hamburg”. This makes it clear that modern technologies can be future-oriented for political participation. MNU-BB summarizes that…

Challenges and outlook

Nevertheless, digital transformation also brings challenges. The so-called digital divide shows that older people and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have less access to digital participation offers. Data protection and IT security are also critical aspects that must be taken into account when implementing digital participation formats. Nevertheless, there are already best practice examples that show ways to achieve inclusion and accessibility.

The future of political participation will increasingly be shaped by technological innovations. Forecasts assume that around 60% of all political participation processes could be supported digitally by 2030. This should be accompanied by investments in digital infrastructure and education as well as the development of inclusive formats in order to strengthen a sustainable democracy. With its initiatives, Beratzhausen shows how important it is to react to these developments and to actively work on strong, digital citizen participation.