DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY AMIDST THE TOWER OF BABEL: INSIGHTS FROM LUXEMBOURGISH DELIBERATIVE MINI-PUBLICS

Deliberative democracy has become an increasingly important model for decision-making, especially through the use of deliberative mini-publics, such as citizens’ assemblies, which aim to ensure that decision-making processes are inclusive, authentic, and consequential. While these ideals have been widely studied, one crucial yet often underexplored aspect in their realization is the role of language. Language serves not only as the medium for deliberation, which is fundamental to deliberative democracy, but also shapes the accessibility, quality of participation, and perceived legitimacy of democratic processes. In today’s world, characterized by significant linguistic diversity and a demand for context-sensitive democratic processes, it is essential to understand how language influences deliberative practices, especially in multilingual societies. Without a deeper integration of linguistic considerations, the study and practice of deliberative democracy remain incomplete. Drawing on literature beyond the field of deliberative democracy, particularly sociolinguistics, the thesis argues that despite the clear need to account for language in deliberative processes, it is often insufficiently addressed in existing research. Most studies on deliberative democracy have focused on the quality of deliberation in multilingual settings, neglecting the broader implications of multilingualism for inclusivity and consequentiality. This thesis seeks to fill this gap by empirically examining deliberative democracy, focusing on the interaction between multilingualism and deliberative practices in citizens’ assemblies in Luxembourg, a multilingual society with a high proportion of non-national residents who lack electoral rights. This unique context provides a valuable lens through which to explore how linguistic diversity impacts the principles of deliberative democracy within the framework of citizens’ assemblies. Using a mixed-methods comparative case study approach, this dissertation explores two national-level citizens’ assemblies in Luxembourg, namely the Biergerkommitee Lëtzebuerg 2050 and the Klima Biergerrot. By employing both quantitative and qualitative data, the study investigates the experiences with and attitudes toward multilingual deliberative processes among participants, facilitators, organizers, and the broader public. It aims to highlight the significance of linguistic considerations in the study and practice of deliberative democracy. The research examines how multilingualism in these assemblies influences the inclusivity of participation, the authenticity of deliberation, and the consequentiality of the process. To achieve this, it constructs an operational matrix based on the commonly used input, throughput, and output legitimacy framework in combination with an operationalization of multilingualism for deliberative processes. The findings suggest that the BK and KBR closely approximate the normative ideals of deliberative democracy. Specifically, the multilingual deliberative processes ensured inclusivity by accommodating linguistic diversity, upheld authenticity by allowing meaningful discussions in multiple languages, and enhanced consequentiality by enabling preference transformation and public endorsement of multilingual processes. However, the research also reveals that linguistic diversity affects these principles in complex and nuanced ways, highlighting the need for further empirical studies on how language interacts with and influences deliberative processes. By exploring the role of language in multilingual deliberative processes, this thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of deliberative democracy in linguistically diverse contexts. It challenges existing scholarship by addressing the gap in research regarding how multilingualism impacts deliberative practices. This work also offers practical insights for the future application of deliberative democracy in multilingual societies, advancing both academic and practical knowledge in the field. Ultimately, the thesis emphasizes the importance of considering linguistic factors when engaging with deliberative democracy.