Some Thoughts on Referendums

A question often overseen about the Brexit referendum concerns the impact of the referendum itself.

A referendum is a supposedly rare voting system enabling a government to ask the opinion of its population regarding important, often polemical matters. The outcome can be either consultative or binding, depending on the constitution and the circumstances.

The first major regional referendum ever held in Great Britain regarded the Northern Ireland Sovereignty (1973). Since then, they appear to have proliferated. Twelve major referendums have been organised in the last forty-three years: two national votes (whether the UK should remain in the EEC and whether it should adopt a new voting system) and ten regional ones. These mainly considered sovereignty and devolution in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Nine of these twelve referendums were held in 1997 or after.

All well considered, this is not what I would call a “rare” voting system any longer.

France has been called for eight national[1] referendums since 1958 (beginning of the 5th Republic), five of them after 72. In Belgium, they are not admitted by the constitution.[2] In the Netherlands, the situation has changed lately, so we will simply say that the only binding referendum held in almost two centuries concerned the constitution of the EU. In Luxembourg, they have only been held twice since WWII, related to the ratification to the EU constitution, and to a potential new constitutional voting system. In Germany, binding referendums only concern changes in the constitution and in the state territories, but many other binding and non-binding poll systems exist. However, their variety (as well as the variety in their names) differentiate them from proper referendums.

Now here is what I fear. Referendums are supposed to attract a large part of the voters because of their exceptional nature. If they become too regular, they are no more attractive that plain elections. The people stop going because “things never change anyway”, because they already have been last time or because, Goodness gracious, why would you choose a Thursday of all days?

Referendums should remain rare, if only because the people should never have to devaluate their right to speak up. If Britain wants to keep on with popular polls, why not, but let them reorganise the voting system so it can fit their new habits.

[1] As well as 20 local referendums, most of them concerning the status of its overseas territories. Only three of them took place in regions of the main land (including the island Corsica).

[2] Though local and regional non-binding, consultative vote (called consultation populaire in French, volksraadpleging in Dutch, that is “public consultation”) are possible. These are rarely organised.