Schleswig-Holstein makes digital municipal meetings mandatory - municipalities are looking for simple solutions

In Schleswig-Holstein, things are getting concrete: local authorities must enable digital participation in local parliaments by 2027.

This was decided by Parliament at the beginning of 2025. As a result, digital and hybrid sessions will become the rule rather than the exception.

We have been in close contact with numerous local authorities in the state for months. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive - many welcome the new legal basis.

At the same time, municipal decision-makers are now faced with the challenge of finding digital solutions that guarantee basic democratic principles such as public access, transparency and legally compliant decision-making. And time is of the essence.

The desire for digital flexibility is there

A survey by the Federal Statistical Office shows just how great the interest in digital meeting formats is:

42% of the local elected representatives surveyed would like to hold more frequent video conferences.

The reasons for this are:

• Better compatibility of voluntary work, career and family
• Less travel time, more efficiency
• Facilitated participation in rural and structurally weak regions

For volunteers in particular, digital meetings offer real relief - without compromising on transparency or participation.

Municipal reality: solutions must be found now

Ideally, the change in the law would be accompanied by a comprehensive renewal of the municipal IT infrastructure. Realistically, however, such a process would take many years in Germany.

Municipalities are therefore now looking for practical solutions that can be implemented quickly and that make it easy to digitally expand face-to-face meetings.

The challenge:

• Many tools available on the market are not GDPR-compliant, e.g. because data is stored outside the EU.
• Others do not meet the requirements of local politics, e.g. legally compliant resolutions.
• There are also practical hurdles - such as a lack of room technology and tight budgets.

Outlook: Other countries follow suit

The legal framework for digital meetings is also being discussed in Baden-Württemberg. A draft law is currently in the consultation process.

In other countries, the legal basis for digital and hybrid meetings has been created, but no obligation has yet been decided.

The digital transformation in local politics is not only desirable - it is necessary. Digital meetings are not an end in themselves. They enable genuine participation - especially for the many volunteers who combine their political work with a career and family.

Linkando creates solutions

With Linkando Meetings we offer municipalities a solution that has been specially developed for municipal use - legally compliant, simple and secure.

• GDPR-compliant & legally compliant
• State-certified by the NRW municipal inspection authority
• Functions for voting, elections & minutes
• Role-specific access, simple administration
• Connection to council information systems (RIS)

Linkando Meetings is already being used successfully in several German states.

What can a digital session look like in practice? Our solutions at https://linkando.com/meetings/kommunen/