On 18 June 2017 the citizens of Moutier, a small town in the heart of the Jura region in Switzerland, decide on the future of their city, whether to remain in the Canton of Berne or to leave and join the Canton of Jura. The referendum vote […]
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What? Brexit (British exit) refers to the June 23, 2016 popular vote in which a majority of the voters decided that Great Britain should leave the European Union. Who decided to call the popular vote? In 2013 PM David Cameron promised to negotiate a new settlement with […]
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Question (4/7): Another argument against direct democracy is that wealthy lobbying groups can “buy” a positive referendum result with the use of advertisements, TV time etc. Is this true? Do you have any relevant examples from Switzerland? What kind of measures have you employed in Switzerland to […]
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Question (3/7): One of the most commonly used counterarguments in Greece against referendums [especially, the purest form of it, the referendums triggered by the people] and citizens’ initiatives is that the people are not “educated” and “mature” to properly vote in favor of the “right” option. It […]
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Question (2/7): What is the current situation in Finland regarding Direct Democracy? Does the political system allow the participation of citizens in the decision making process [besides parliamentary elections] and, if yes, how? What is the opinion of the Finns about direct democracy? Do they have similar […]
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