Brexit referendum was a victory for democracy

It is time for Europe to reflect on the role of referendums in politics, writes Jeroen van Gennep. Do we want to embrace them or turn our backs on them for good?

Later this year, the EU will face two more referendums. In October, the Italians will be able to indicate whether they agree with their prime minister's wish to limit the Senate to regional affairs; and in Hungary, voters will be able to vote on the EU's imposted obligation to host refugees.

"Are referendums really an improvement to our system? Voters are increasingly able to read up on any subject but do not always seem to want to or understand it. How much knowledge does someone have to acquire to be allowed to decide on something that affects so many others?"

The Brexit referendum was held more than three weeks ago. Some still hold out the silent hope of a second visit to the ballot box. Theresa May, the new Prime Minister of Great Britain and originally in favour of retaining EU membership, refuted this after the result: "We are now all in favour of leaving the EU." The effects of that departure will take months, if not years, to play out.

The fact that 52 percent of voters voted for Britain to leave the European Union is a hard blow to many. But with a turnout of 72 percent, the referendum was a victory for democracy. It was the highest turnout for an election in Britain in almost twenty-five years.

A sign of the importance of this issue, you would think. But the reactions were often less positive. One quote that came up several times on the internet kept lingering: 'The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter' - Winston Churchill. I was outraged by it.

Referendums are effective and accepted by the population and the politicians of Switzerland, but does this mean they will work here too? Learning from the referendum on the association agreement with Ukraine earlier this year, it is clear that the referendum system does not yet function well here at least. There was widespread uncertainty among voters, a great lack of interest among the majority of politicians and the power of a small group of people (GeenPeil) prevailed.

Teething problems

The Brexit and Ukraine referendums force us to think critically about what we can still achieve with our current form of democracy. Are referendums really an improvement of our system? Voters are increasingly able to first-hand educate themselves on critical topics, but they do not always seem to want to or understand the subject matter. How much knowledge does someone have to acquire in order to be allowed to decide on something that also affects so many others?

Now that it is technologically and financially possible to conduct referendums more often, it is right to ask whether this should happen. And whether we would even want to.

Perhaps conducting effective referendums need more time and these are teething problems in our transition to a system with more direct democracy. But whether to hold more or fewer referendums: the fact remains that there are those within our population that, rightly or wrongly, have fears about Europe, immigration and job security. If they are told after every vote that they have not tried hard enough, that they are falling for the slogans of populists and that they should not have participated in decision-making, we partly reject the idea of ​​their right to vote.

Altar

Democracy in its essence means that the people are central and that they have influence on the choices that are made. If the result of Brexit is that the economy would do slightly worse than if the U.K. had retained EU membership, but the voter has more say in their own destiny, then that is a positive step. Or should everything be sacrificed on the altar of economic growth? Churchill said: "Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others", but he did not specify which form of democracy. When he started his political career, women did not have the right to vote, only wealthy men were allowed to vote and some men had the right to vote more than once. By the time of Churchill's death in 1965, these restrictions were lifted and universal suffrage had been introduced, including in the Netherlands.

We should not blame or berate the alienated citizen for their choice, as happened after the Ukraine and Brexit referendums. The possibilities for implementing democracy are changing and it is important to move on, searching for 'the worst form of democracy, except all the others'.