EN
The article examines the interdependence of public participation and sustainable performance of public tasks in democratic structures. The author explains that post-democratic tendencies in countries like Germany in conjunction with economic and fiscal crises have led on to making citizen participation in politics and society prominent. In the first part of the article the theoretical and economic policy backgrounds will be outlined. Afterwards aspects of private and municipal task performance are discussed in connection with the integration of citizens in the decision-making processes. In the third part of the article the author strengthens that the performance of public tasks has always to be considered under the aspect of sustainability and that citizen participation can play an important role in the implementation of sustainability goals.