Referendums and Democracy in France and Europe

Extract

[...] The rejection of democracy is doubled by another phenomenon: the concept of democracy. In its conventional conception, democracy is defined as the governance by the greatest number" through institutions that allow citizens to participate directly in power: concept of direct democracy. Concept present until the beginning of the 20th century, that's why from a conceptual point of view opposition of democracy to representation. Primacy of the representative regime also due to elements of conceptual order, by the historical political context: in the first post-revolutionary years, there are suspicion of ochlocracy: power of the crowd expressed during the revolutionary days. [...]

[...] The designation of members of the legislative body under the Consulate and the Second Empire The Consulate is governed by the Constitution of the Year VIII, no reference to universal male suffrage, but we note that all citizens participate at the election of their representatives indirectly by means of lists of trust" imagined by Sieyès. The citizens designate the electable and not the elected. Universalisation of the right to designate the electable, while controlling it: citizens designate among themselves those who are fit to sit in the Legislative Assembly. The authorities choose from the lists of trust who will sit in the Legislative Assembly. ? [...]

[...] Procedure: Limited democratic practice. Important from a political point of view, because if citizens manage to get a certain number of signatures the State will put its questions to the fore. 2. The direct participation of citizens in the control of representatives A. The popular recall of elected officials in the US federal states At the state level, the 'recall' procedure: citizens can remove an elected official holding a political, administrative, or judicial function. Procedure: B. The dissolution of local parliaments by referendum in Germany If dissolution of the Parliament, the entire Parliament is recalled en bloc. [...]

[...] This allows for quickly identifying a majority of governments the more so in France bipolar political system. This also makes the country easily governable. Disadvantage: poor representation of political currents, by non-proportional scrutiny. Election of deputies: majoritarian scrutiny no faithful representation in Parliament, under-representation of small parties. Introduction of initiative referendum shared in 2008, by N. Sarkozy: we have the right to launch a legislative initiative. II. Chapter 2 - From Direct Democracy Procedures to Local Scales Example of Notre-Dame des Landes: the vote by commune concerning the works of an airport. [...]

[...] This is a simple right of initiative recognized to European citizens. On finds this project in the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council which indicates the minimum number of States from which signatures must be collected. The million of signatures must be fromat least seven EU countries. Instrument difficult relatively difficult to implement little used and little known. B. National referendums on European issues In some EU member states, possibilities that allow directly citizens to decisions related to the EU. [...]