The ambivalent alliance between public participation professionals and democracy

The aim of this article is to examine the issue of the impact of professionalization of citizens’ participation on the quality of democracy. Starting with the recent developments in both deliberative democracy and participation tools, it shows why is important to take a renewed interest in the professionalization of participation and what this looks like today, including thechallenges that it poses to recent developments in participatory/deliberative democracy. The text identifies four prototypes of professional positioning that are currently gaining ground. The authors argue that while participation professionals contribute significantly to democratic processes, their role has become more complex (and ambiguous) due to factors such as the changes in digital participation and the rise of AI, the opening of new supranational/international processes of citizen participation, and a deepening in the legitimacy crisis of democratic institutions. In conclusion, the authors propose some potential solutions to enhance virtuous behaviors in participation, including clarifying professional roles, establishing third-party guarantors, and advancing the codification of participatory rights.