Participation is more than «have a voice in the decision-making process. It is reached when this kind of consultation results in an effective influence upon the decision itself. Have a voice in the matter is, on theother hand, more than information that, in its turn, consists of two streams: one from the top to the bottom, and one from the bottom to the top. The loss of communal mandatories as a consequence of the amalgamation in 1976 has stressed the necessity of expanding this kind of political activity of the citizens. Comparison between a field research of 1975 and one of 1982 makes clear that there is an increase of information activity in the communes, mostly however of the kind that doesnot invite to active participation. There also is an increase of participation-councils but it is rather impossible to compare the effect of this kind of participatory activity with researchresults of the past. In comparison with other European countries there is found a large arrears in territorial decentralization and direct citizen decision-making. For the future it is asked to write in the new communal law the obligation for communes to organize participation activities and to give the citizens a guarantee of participation.