German lawmakers mull creating first citizen assembly

BERLIN (AP) — German lawmakers are considering whether to create the country’s first “citizen assembly” to advise parliament on the issue of food and nutrition. Germany’s three governing parties back the idea of appointing consultative bodies made up of members of the public selected through a lottery system who would discuss specific topics and provide nonbinding feedback to legislators. But opposition parties have rejected the idea. They warned that such citizen assemblies risk undermining the primacy of parliament in Germany’s political system. Environmental activists from the group Last Generation have campaigned for the creation of a citizen assembly to address climate change. German lawmakers considered the idea of a “citizen assembly” on Wednesday.