Increase in petitions in Hesse: Citizens are demanding more participation!

Increase in petitions in Hesse: Citizens are demanding more participation!

in Hesse, the number of petitions last year experienced a strong increase. As Wiesbaden lives , a total of 1,046 petitions were submitted, which corresponds to an increase of 12% compared to the previous year. At the same time, 876 cases were treated, which means an increase of 7.4%. Despite this increase, the success rate of the petitions remains modest: only 16% of the submitted applications received a completely or partially positive decision.

A look at the topics of the petitions shows that 25% of the concerns concern residence rights, which records a considerable increase of 47%. Criticism of the judiciary is particularly common, especially with regard to delays in legal proceedings. The leader under the petitions is an initiative for the treatment of domestic violence in schools that were able to mobilize 30,450 supporters.

Effective design of petitions

For citizens who want to submit a petition, there are some proven tips to increase the chances of success. It is recommended to formulate the concerns clearly and precisely and to support them with relevant facts. It is also important to select the right addressee and waive superfluous signatures, since a single signature is sufficient to bring the petition in the state parliament to treatment. An example of the problem of the often delayed petitions shows a construction project: an early submission could have made an interruption of the project possible, but this was thwarted by waiting for thousands of signatures. Petitions committee boss Oliver Ulloth warns of false expectations regarding the necessary number of signatures.

The submission of a petition takes place in accordance with the requirements of the Hessische Landtag . This includes the written submission of the application in which the name and address of the petent must be specified. If someone petitions for another person, their data and a corresponding power of attorney must be given. In addition, the request and the desired goals should be clearly described and relevant documents should be attached.

The process of petition submission

After submitting, the petent receives a confirmation email that includes a summary of the submitted data and a link to unlock the petition. This link can only be used once and invalid after 30 days. After confirmation, the petition will then be forwarded to the Petitions Committee of the Hessian Landtag.

In order to promote the dialogue between citizens and the state parliament, regular consultation hours are available. The next citizens' consultation will take place on May 27, 2025 in the Hessian state parliament. In addition, a law firm consultation in Wiesbaden is offered every last Wednesday of the month. Interested parties can register by e-mail at petitungen@ltg.hessen.de.

Overall, it turns out that petitions represent an important instrument of democracy. They offer citizens the opportunity to influence authorities and to correct their decisions.