History

Abstract

This chapter locates referendums within a history of European democracy, understood in terms of Paul Nolte’s three Leitmotifs: search, fulfilment and crisis. The idea of the referendum is first presented as a search for something to complement representative democracy. The second part of the chapter explores how to fulfil direct democracy’s promise, a dilemma that revolves around considerations of how effectively referendums live up to their promise when used. Thirdly, and finally, the analysis looks at the history of the memory, or legacy, of referendums. Judging by the historical record, there is no apparent reason to abandon direct democracy for fear of its consequences: crises provoked by referendums can spur the democratic search for fulfilling the potential of citizen empowerment.