The benefits of a binding citizens’ referendum A binding citizens’ referendum, in which the population votes directly on specific issues, can offer various benefits within a democratic system. The current political system no longer works. The plans in election manifestos are often completely unrecognisable in the coalition agreement of the governing parties after the elections.…
Binding referendum to increase citizen involvement Barack Obama once said that the greatest danger in politics is apathy. For the 2023 House of Representatives elections, turnout was 77.7%. In Rotterdam and Rijswijk, however, only 64.3% voted. The number of eligible voters was over 13.4 million. Almost 3 million people didn’t vote. At 50% turnout, 6.7…
A reliable government does what it promises The importance of trust in government for a well-functioning democracy is undeniable. Nevertheless, a certain degree of distrust can sometimes be positive for democracy and progress, because it spurs people into action, such as protesting against government plans or campaigning for change. Government must earn the citizen’s trust…
* Strengthening direct democracy through the introduction of a binding referendum There is enormous active resistance from the “status quo” to the binding referendum, making it currently impossible even to put the binding referendum on the table as a position. The people who would want to champion this feel unsafe and fear repercussions. To solve…
