Participatory Budgeting in Asia and Europe—Key Challenges of Participation

Citizens' participation, especially participatory budgeting, has spread in both Asia and Europe, and has been a symbol of democratic renewal. These transformations are already very visible in Europe, where more than 200 municipalities have adopted participatory budgeting. By contrast, in some Asian democracies, such as Japan or South Korea, it has considerably enlarged the agenda of citizen participation, integrating new forms such as taxpayers' budgets. In other countries, especially in China, participatory budgeting represents some adaptations of opening and transparency. With a global cast of authors, this study provides an overview of the impact of these devices, such as improving the modernisation of public administration or improving the contact between citizens and politicians, and documents the latest developments of citizen participation in both continents.

Yves Sintomer is a Professor of Sociology in the Department of Political Science at Paris 8 University, France. Since 2009, he has also been guest professor at Neuchatel University, Switzerland.

Rudolf Traub-Merz holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Tubingen, Germany where he specialized on the political economy of development in Africa. In 1986, he joined the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), and subsequently, became country representative in Nigeria, Zimbabwe and the Philippines.

Zhang Junhua is Professor in the Political Science department at the College of Public Administration at Zhejiang University, China. He served as the Director of the Asian Center for Development and Transformation in Berlin, Germany until 2006.