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040 _aES-MaBCA
_cES-MaBCA
100 _914347
_aTilindyte, Laura
245 _aReferendums on EU issues
260 _bEuropean Parliamentary Research Service
_cMay 2016
300 _a11 p.
_fRecurso online
520 _aReferendums give citizens a direct say over matters which would otherwise be decided by elected (or non-elected) representatives. Thus, as instruments of direct democracy, they may foster citizens' involvement and legitimise important decisions. In fact, referendums have been on the rise in Europe and elsewhere in the world in recent decades, and have become a recurrent feature of European politics. Since 1972, Europe has seen 54 referendums on EU matters, concerning membership, treaty ratification or specific policy issues (e.g. adoption of the euro); further referendums are to follow in 2016. At the same time, the degree to which EU countries make use of referendums differs significantly: while the majority of Member States have held one referendum on European integration, mostly relating to membership, a handful resort to referendums more frequently. Despite the increased interest in some states, referendums remain controversial. On the one hand, advocates of direct democracy stress that referendums can, inter alia, foster citizens' engagement and thereby improve legitimacy and governance. Critics, on the other hand, highlight the pitfalls of referendums. Especially in the aftermath of the French and Dutch rejection of the Constitutional Treaty in 2005, they suggest, interalia, that in referendums voters tend to answer questions other than those on the ballot paper. Some critics, more generally, question the suitability of a 'yes' or 'no' vote to decide on complex, multidimensional matters within the European setting. Looking at a sample of past EU referendums, the following pages provide an overview of these conflicting views, as expressed in (academic) commentary.
650 0 _91639
_aPolítica y gobierno
650 0 _91959
_aLegislación
650 0 _94092
_aDemocracia
650 0 _914348
_aReferéndum
651 0 _91574
_aPaíses de la Unión Europea
710 _912899
_aParlamento Europeo
_b. Servicio de Investigación Parlamentario Europeo
856 4 _uhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/582041/EPRS_BRI(2016)582041_EN.pdf
_y *DESCARGAR PDF*
942 _2udc
_cBK
_kBoletín UE
_mMayo 2016
999 _c18483
_d18486