The Palgrave Handbook Of European Referendums

:  Acknowledgments......Page 5
:  Contents......Page 7
:  Notes on Contributors......Page 11
:  List of Figures......Page 19
:  List of Tables......Page 21
1.1 Opening Remarks: A Case in Point......Page 23
1.2 Referendums, Plebiscites or Citizens’ Initiatives......Page 26
1.3 Aims of This Volume......Page 27
1.4 Outline of the Handbook......Page 29
1.5.1 Why Hold a Referendum if It Is Not Essential?......Page 32
1.5.2.1 Equality and Fairness......Page 33
1.5.2.2 Rules for Referendums......Page 34
1.5.2.3 Financial Rules......Page 36
1.5.2.5 The Role of Government......Page 37
1.5.2.6 Who Interprets the Rules and Ensures They Are Implemented?......Page 38
1.6.1 Experience of Referendums—This Is an Issue for Both Elites and Citizens......Page 39
1.6.2 Where Do Voters Acquire Objective Information?......Page 41
1.6.4 Declining Party Cues and the Demise of Deference......Page 42
1.6.5.1 Do Campaigns Matter?......Page 43
1.6.5.2 The Message and Messenger......Page 44
1.6.5.3 Circumstances Matter......Page 45
1.6.6.2 Parliament Versus the People......Page 46
Bibliography......Page 47
Part I Referendums in Theory and in Practice......Page 48
2 Referendums and Democratic Theory......Page 49
2.1 Benefits of Referendums and Difficulties of Doing Without Them......Page 52
2.2.1 Aggregation......Page 55
2.2.2 Deliberation......Page 57
2.2.3 Knowledge and Democracy......Page 58
2.2.5 Irresponsibility......Page 59
2.2.6 Majority Domination......Page 60
2.3.1 Embedding Referendums in Democratic Constitutionalism......Page 62
2.3.2 Embedding Referendums in Representative Institutions......Page 64
2.4 Conclusion......Page 65
References......Page 66
3.1 Introduction......Page 69
3.2 A Search for What? the Referendum as the History of an Idea......Page 70
3.3 Fulfilling Their Promise? The Use of Referendums in Practice......Page 74
3.4 Crisis Moments? Historical Legacies and the Memories of Referendums in Contemporary Europe......Page 79
Bibliography......Page 83
4 The Rules of Referendums......Page 87
4.1 Where Referendum Rules Sit......Page 88
4.2 When Referendums Take Place......Page 89
4.2.2 Referendums by Choice: Who, How and on What?......Page 90
4.2.3 Steps Before Calling a Referendum......Page 94
4.3.2 Setting the Question......Page 95
4.4.1 Binding or Advisory?......Page 96
4.4.2 What Threshold Is Required?......Page 98
4.5.1 The Role of Government......Page 100
4.5.2 Campaign Finance......Page 102
4.5.3 Media Balance......Page 103
4.6.1 Transparency of Who Is Saying What to Whom......Page 104
4.6.3 Provision of Information......Page 105
4.7 Enforcement......Page 106
References......Page 107
5 Referendums and Parliaments......Page 111
5.1.1 Subordination of Parliaments......Page 114
5.1.2 Non-decision-Making......Page 116
5.1.3 Rejection......Page 117
5.1.5 The Decision to Use Referendums......Page 121
5.2 Regulating Referendums......Page 125
Bibliography......Page 127
6 The Shifting Will of the People: The Case of EU Referendums......Page 129
6.1 Why Do We Observe Drastic Shifts During EU Referendum Campaigns?......Page 130
6.2 Why Do Some Arguments Gain More Traction Than Others?......Page 132
6.3 Why Does the No Side Have More Agenda-Setting Power Than the Yes Side?......Page 135
6.4 Why Are EU Referendum Outcomes Sometimes Reversed?......Page 142
6.5 The Brexit Puzzle......Page 145
Spain......Page 147
France......Page 148
Luxembourg......Page 149
Ireland......Page 150
Bibliography......Page 152
7 Two Hundred Years of Direct Democracy: The Referendum in Europe 1793–2018......Page 156
7.1 Referendums 1793–1900: A French Device......Page 157
7.2 Excursus: The Referendum in Switzerland in the Nineteenth Century......Page 160
7.3 Trends and Tendencies of European Referendums 1900–1944......Page 161
7.4 Referendums Under the Frozen Party System 1945–1989......Page 164
7.4.1 Ad Hoc Plebiscitary Referendums......Page 167
7.4.2 Policy-Defusing Referendums......Page 169
7.4.3 Referendums by Issue......Page 171
7.4.4 Referendums 1990–......Page 172
7.5 Conclusion......Page 176
Bibliography......Page 178
Part II Domestic Referendums......Page 181
8.1 Introduction......Page 182
8.2 Referendums in Belgium......Page 183
8.3 A Representative Democracy by Design......Page 184
8.4 An Unconstitutional Referendum?......Page 187
8.5 From Belgium to the European Union......Page 189
8.6 Concluding Remarks......Page 192
Bibliography......Page 193
9.1 A Short Long Story of the Referendum Since the Revolution......Page 196
9.2 The Decline of the Referendum as a Presidential Weapon Under the Fifth Republic......Page 199
9.3 Referendums in Practice......Page 201
9.3.1 The 1972 Referendum on the Accession of New Countries......Page 203
9.3.2 The 1992 Referendum on the Maastricht Treaty......Page 205
9.3.3 The 2005 Referendum on the European Constitutional Treaty......Page 208
9.4 Provisions and Legal Framework of Nationwide Referendums......Page 211
9.5 The Current Debate......Page 214
References......Page 218
10 The Referendum Experience in Switzerland......Page 220
10.2 Referendums as the Cornerstone of the Swiss Political System......Page 221
10.3 Referendum Votes in Practice......Page 223
10.4 Who Are the People?......Page 224
10.5 Mechanisms of Direct Democracy......Page 225
10.5.1 The Mandatory Referendum for Constitutional Changes......Page 226
10.5.3 The Citizens’ Initiative......Page 227
10.5.5 Finance Referendums......Page 228
10.6 Campaign Financing......Page 229
10.7 Frequency of Referendum Votes......Page 230
10.9.1 A Local Level, Cultural Issue: Language Spoken in Kindergarten......Page 231
10.9.3 National Level, Social Security and Public Finance, for a Temporary VAT Increase......Page 233
10.9.4 National Level, Public Finance, Reduction of Public Debt......Page 235
10.9.5 A National Level Referendum on Armed Forces: Abolition......Page 236
10.9.6 A National Level Initiative Against Minarets......Page 237
10.10 Concluding Remarks......Page 238
References......Page 239
11.1 The Limited British Experience with Referendums......Page 242
11.2 The Legal and Regulatory Framework......Page 245
11.3 The Devolution Referendums of 1979......Page 246
11.4 The Devolution Referendums of 1997......Page 251
11.5 Conclusions......Page 259
References......Page 261
12 The 1998 Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement Referendums in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland......Page 263
12.1.1 Previous Experience......Page 264
12.1.2 The Requirement of a Referendum......Page 265
12.2.1 Simultaneous Referendums in Two Jurisdictions......Page 266
12.2.2 Approving a Peace Accord......Page 267
12.2.4 Provision for a Future Referendum......Page 268
12.2.5 Differences in Rules......Page 269
12.3.1 Northern Ireland......Page 270
12.3.2 Ireland......Page 271
12.4.2 Ireland......Page 272
12.4.3 Northern Ireland......Page 273
12.4.4 Incentivising Support......Page 275
12.5.1 The Results......Page 276
12.6 Looking Ahead......Page 277
12.7 Conclusion......Page 279
References......Page 280
13.1 The Experience of Referendums in the United Kingdom......Page 282
13.2 The Legal Framework......Page 286
13.3 The Rules in Place......Page 289
13.4 The Referendum in Practice......Page 290
13.5 The Referendum and Domestic Politics......Page 296
References......Page 298
14.1 Introduction......Page 301
14.2 Devolution......Page 303
14.3 Onset......Page 305
14.4 Rules......Page 306
14.5 Campaign......Page 309
14.6 Outcome......Page 313
14.7 Fallout......Page 315
14.8 Conclusion......Page 317
References......Page 318
15 The 2017 Catalan Referendum in Comparative Perspective......Page 321
15.1 Catalonia the Briefest of Histories......Page 322
15.2 The Brief History of Independence Referendums......Page 324
15.3 The Referendum in Spanish Political History......Page 329
15.4 The Legal Position......Page 334
15.5 Conclusion......Page 336
References......Page 337
16 The Irish Referendums on Marriage Equality and Abortion......Page 339
16.1 The Historical, Legal and Political Framework for Referendums......Page 340
16.2 The Deliberative Turn in Referendum Practice: Marriage and Abortion......Page 346
16.3 Parliamentary Politics and Campaign Agitation......Page 347
16.3.1 Who Voted Yes?......Page 351
16.4 Reflections on the Irish Referendum Experience......Page 352
Bibliography......Page 354
17.1.1 ‘Reform’ of the Constitution: An Ancient Debate and the Other Side the Medal......Page 357
17.1.2 The Political Context, Parties and Party System: From the ‘Golden Age’ of Party Democracy to the ‘Apocalypse’ of Democracy......Page 360
17.1.3 Democratizations and Referenda Experiences......Page 362
17.1.4 Types of Initiatives and Referendums......Page 363
17.2.1 Plebiscites?......Page 369
17.3.1 As a Premise......Page 371
17.3.2 Constitutional Law......Page 374
17.3.3 Parties, Party System and Referendum Popular Vote......Page 376
17.3.4 The Transition That Failed......Page 382
17.3.5 The Populist Change......Page 384
17.4 Final Considerations......Page 385
References......Page 388
18.1 Introduction......Page 399
18.2.1 The Political Debate......Page 402
18.2.2 The ‘Yes’ Camp......Page 405
18.2.3 The ‘No’ Camp......Page 408
18.3 Conclusion......Page 411
Bibliography......Page 413
19.1 Introduction: Referendums in Turkey......Page 418
19.2 Legal Stipulations on the Referendums in Turkey......Page 420
19.3 The Campaign and the Vote: Issues and the Political Milieu......Page 423
19.4 The Repercussions of the Referendum: Turkey and Her International Relations......Page 433
19.5 Conclusion......Page 435
Bibliography......Page 437
Part III EU-Related Referendums......Page 440
20.1 Introduction......Page 441
20.2.1 The Political Background......Page 443
20.2.2 The Constitutional Provisions......Page 444
20.2.3 The Campaigns......Page 447
20.2.4 Public Opinion......Page 452
20.2.5 The Referendum Result......Page 454
20.3 A French Detour......Page 456
Bibliography......Page 457
21.1 Introduction......Page 460
21.2 Referendums and Democracy......Page 461
21.3 The Legal Framework on Referendums in Norway......Page 463
21.4 For Determining Each Referendum, What Rules Were in Place?......Page 465
21.5 The Practice of the Referendums......Page 466
21.6 The Effects on Norwegian Politics......Page 470
21.6.2 Norway’s Distinct Europeanisation Paradox......Page 473
21.7 Concluding Remarks......Page 475
References......Page 476
22.1 Introduction......Page 480
22.2 Leading or Leaving? the UK’s European Relations......Page 481
22.3 Legal Framework......Page 485
22.4 The Rules of the Game......Page 488
22.5.1 What Was at Stake?......Page 490
22.5.2 The Campaigners......Page 492
22.5.3 The Issues......Page 493
22.5.4 Funding......Page 496
22.5.5 The Media......Page 497
22.5.6 The Outcomes......Page 499
22.6 Consequences for British Politics......Page 500
22.7 Consequences for European Politics......Page 501
22.8 Concluding Remarks......Page 502
Bibliography......Page 503
23 The EFTA Enlargement......Page 506
23.1 The Historical Context......Page 507
23.2 The Referendum Experience......Page 510
23.3 The Legal Frameworks......Page 511
23.4 The Campaigns......Page 512
23.4.1 Austria......Page 514
23.4.2 Sweden......Page 515
23.4.3 Finland......Page 516
23.5 The Arguments......Page 517
23.5.1 The Results......Page 519
23.6 Conclusion......Page 520
Bibliography......Page 521
24.1 Introduction......Page 523
24.2 Enlargement Rounds and Accession Referendums......Page 524
24.2.1 The First Enlargement Wave and the Birth of the Accession Referendum......Page 526
24.2.2 Southern European Enlargement & Avoiding the Accession Referendum......Page 528
24.2.3 The Nordic and Austrian Enlargement Round......Page 529
24.2.4 The ‘Big Bang’ Enlargement......Page 531
24.2.4.3 Hungary......Page 532
24.2.4.6 Poland......Page 533
24.2.4.8 Estonia and Latvia......Page 534
24.2.4.9 Cyprus......Page 535
24.2.5 The Post-2004 Enlargement Rounds......Page 536
24.3 Mapping the Accession Referendum......Page 537
24.4 Conclusion......Page 540
References......Page 542
25.1 Introduction......Page 546
25.2 The Danish History of Referendums......Page 547
25.3.1 The Non-ratification of the Treaty of Maastricht in June 1992......Page 548
25.3.2 ‘Maastricht Without Thorns’—The Edinburgh Agreement and the Yes Vote in May 1993......Page 550
25.3.3 From a No to a Yes—Explanations of the Different Outcomes......Page 552
25.4.1 Replacing the JHA Opt-Out with a New Opt-In......Page 555
25.4.2 Explaining the No Vote in the JHA Opt-In Referendum......Page 558
25.5 Conclusions—Denmark as the Home of Issue-Voting......Page 559
References......Page 560
26.1 Introduction......Page 562
26.2 The Swedish Experience of National Referendums......Page 563
26.3 The Referendum Campaign 2003......Page 566
26.4 The Death of Anna Lindh......Page 568
26.5 Why Sweden Voted No to the Euro......Page 569
26.6 Concluding Remarks: The Swedish Experience of National Referendums......Page 570
References......Page 571
27.1 Introduction......Page 572
27.2 Nice......Page 573
27.3 Irish Voters Say No Again......Page 574
27.3.1 Buying Time at Home......Page 575
27.3.2 The EU Level Strategy......Page 577
27.4.1 Punishment or Issue on Its Merits......Page 580
27.4.2 Mobilisation......Page 581
27.4.3 Research......Page 583
27.4.4 Framing the Debate......Page 584
27.4.5 Framing and Delivering the Message......Page 585
27.4.6 Delivering the Message......Page 586
27.5 Winning the Referendum......Page 587
27.6 Conclusions......Page 588
References......Page 589
28 The French and Dutch Block the Constitutional Treaty......Page 591
28.1 Background: The Discursive and Political Contexts......Page 592
28.1.1 The Context in France......Page 594
28.1.2 The Context in The Netherlands......Page 596
28.2 The Campaigns: Actors, Dynamics, Issues......Page 598
28.2.1 Argumentative and Discursive Strategies......Page 600
28.3 Explanations of the Vote......Page 602
28.4 Conclusion......Page 604
References......Page 606
29 Swiss Votes on Europe......Page 609
29.1 The European Question in Swiss Politics......Page 611
29.2 The Selection......Page 614
29.3.1 Towards the EEA......Page 616
29.3.2 Seeking a New Settlement 1993–1999......Page 618
29.3.3 2000–2009: Installing the Bilaterals......Page 621
29.3.4 2009–2018 New Questions......Page 625
29.4 Direct Democracy and Swiss European Policy Reconsidered......Page 629
Bibliography......Page 630
30.1.1 Constitutional History in a Nutshell......Page 633
30.1.2 A Rare and Undemocratic Use of the Referendum......Page 634
30.2.1 The Constitutional Enshrinement of Referendums......Page 635
30.2.2 General Provisions for Holding a Referendum; Law 4023/2011......Page 637
30.3.1 Contextualisation of the 2015 Referendum......Page 638
30.3.2 A Chronicle of the Referendum......Page 640
30.3.3 The Result and the Outcome......Page 645
30.4.1 An Inappropriate Question......Page 646
30.4.2 Can Fiscal Matters Be Put to the Popular Vote?......Page 647
30.4.3 Too Short a Time Interval......Page 648
30.4.5 Indefinite Outcome of the Result......Page 649
30.5.1 The Caricatural Nature of the 2015 Referendum......Page 650
30.6 Drawing Conclusions for the Future......Page 652
References......Page 653
31.1 Introduction......Page 657
31.2 Referendums and European Integration......Page 659
31.3 The Hungarian Political Landscape......Page 660
31.4 Referendum Experience in Hungary......Page 661
31.5 The Legal Framework Governing Referendums......Page 663
31.6 Why Hold a Referendum?......Page 665
31.7 The Campaigns......Page 667
31.8 The Result......Page 670
31.9 Conclusion: Consequences for Hungary and the EU......Page 672
References......Page 673
32.1 Introduction......Page 678
32.2.2 1900s: Nationwide Referendums Regularly Discussed but Never Held......Page 679
32.2.2.1 2000s: Referendums on the Constitutional Treaty, Ukraine and the Intelligence Services......Page 681
32.3.1 Procedural Issues......Page 683
32.3.2 Rules for the 2016 Referendum......Page 684
32.4.1 Triggering the First Nationwide Advisory Referendum......Page 685
32.4.2 A Lacklustre Campaign......Page 687
32.4.3 Campaign Issues......Page 690
32.4.4 Explaining the Vote......Page 691
32.5 The Aftermath of the Vote......Page 692
32.6 Concluding Remarks......Page 696
References......Page 698
33.1 Introduction......Page 701
33.2 Explaining Referendum Voting......Page 702
33.3.1 Unified Patent Court 2014......Page 706
33.3.2 Opt-Out on Justice and Home Affairs 2015......Page 708
33.4 Issue-Voting or Second-Order Voting?......Page 710
33.5 Conclusions......Page 714
References......Page 715
 Index......Page 717