Pros and cons of the Swiss referendum model

Deutsche Welle, 18 May 2014

Switzerland's citizens go to the polls this weekend to vote on a proposed minimum wage and other issues. Is such direct involvement in political decisions a blessing or a curse for democracy?

At least 22 francs per hour (18 euros, or $25) for each worker: This is the minimum wage proposal that the Swiss will vote on in this weekend's referendum.

In addition, they will be able to say whether the Swiss army should get new fighter jets, whether pedosexuals should be banned from working with children and which improvements should be made to the healthcare system. And then there are the local referendums in the individual cantons, or Swiss provinces.

For some it may seem like referendum overdose, but for the Swiss it is the democratic system they are used to. They vote at least four times per year, giving their opinion on issues that in other countries are typically reserved for parliamentarians to decide upon. When it comes to important laws, the people of Switzerland always have the last word - and if they gather enough signatures, they can themselves initiate changes to laws and the constitution.

The result, however, is not always the one politicians hope for - or one they would have predicted. As good as a 22-franc minimum hourly wage may sound, the majority of the Swiss are opposed to the idea.

A well-designed system?

Estimates place more than half of all worldwide referendums as taking place in Switzerland. The small country of eight million residents is seen by many as an ideal model of democracy. However, recent years have shown that such referendums can lead to controversial political decisions. In 2009, a proposal to ban minarets on mosques received the majority of the referendum vote. And at the start of 2014, Europe was shocked at the referendum-based decision to restrict the number of EU immigrants to Switzerland.

Swiss referendums have sparked
controversy in the past

But for Hermann Heussner, professor of public law at the University of Osnabrück, these examples are not sound arguments against a system like Switzerland's. He advocates the idea of increasing the degree of direct democracy in Germany. Up to this point, there have been few opportunities to involve German citizens in decision-making, and doing so has been fraught with hurdles.

According to Heussner, public decisions as controversial as the ones in Switzerland would not happen in Germany. "Here we would first need to establish if a law is compatible with our constitution and with EU law," said Heussner. "And in the EU, we have the right to freedom of movement, so a ruling like the one in Switzerland would not be permitted."

Potential to polarize

Tobias Montag, a political scientist at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, has a more skeptical approach. "I consider this to be a romanticized view," he said, adding that he does not believe referendums are generally helpful in alleviating a society's problems. "In practice, these direct democracy maneuvers often lead to great polarization, and that's not very helpful to democracy."

He pointed out that in societies without deep-rooted democracy, public referendums could have an adverse effect - especially in countries with authoritarian rulers. "They often use direct voting to make their politics look legitimate," said Montag. "It is a form of sham democracy."

Even in established democracies, said Montag, there is a danger that public referendums could be exploited by populists for spreading their opinions.

Questions of quality and credibility

Montag is also of the opinion that referendums can complicate and delay political decisions. Heussner does not agree, saying there is no evidence of such problems in Switzerland.

Public opinion can be a powerful
force of change

"And the most important thing about decisions is not how fast they're made, but how good they are," Heussner added. "After all, laws don't only apply to today and tomorrow, but are meant to establish a foundation of order."

Heussner pointed out that in Germany, some parliamentary decisions are made at turbo speed but are later deemed to be bad. This rarely happens in Switzerland.

At the same time, Heussner acknowledged that some referendums may not represent the voice of the whole population, since the better-educated members of society are more likely to take part. However, he added that although the average Swiss referendum only has a 50-percent voter turnout, the overall annual participation is around 80 percent, which is a lot higher than the typical voter turnout at a German election.

"This means, in relation to what is important to the typical citizen, Switzerland has higher political participation, including across the lower classes," said Heussner.

A solution for the EU?

He believes the EU could also benefit from general referendums, which would help it develop the image of being a joint project by EU citizens - and not an elite project. National borders would take a backseat to transnational interests on question of, for example, whether water supplies should be privatized. "This creates a European public, and a feeling of community," said Heussner.

However, most EU politicians have not shown much interest in involving the citizens in decision-making at this point. This could be due to the fear of having EU-developed plans thwarted in one stroke.

So far, experience with public opinion has indeed been discouraging for EU politicians: Whenever the people have been asked for their view on a European project, the initial responses have mostly been "no."

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“…  Government

Let us speak of government. We're not speaking of your government, but of any government - the way it works, how it survives, how it has survived, the way it campaigns, and how it elects leaders. It's going to change.

Years ago, I told you, "When everybody can talk to everybody, there can be no secrets." Up to this point on this planet, government has counted on one thing - that the people can't easily talk to each other on a global scale. They have to get their information through government or official channels. Even mass media isn't always free enough, for it reports that which the government reports. Even a free society tends to bias itself according to the bias of the times. However, when you can have Human Beings talking to each other all at once, all over the planet without government control, it all changes, for there is open revelation of truth.

Democracy itself will change and you're going to see it soon. The hold-outs, the few countries I have mentioned in the past, are doomed unless they recalibrate. They're doomed to be the same as they have been and won't be able to exist as they are now with everyone changing around them.

I mentioned North Korea in the past. Give it time. Right now, the young man is under the control of his father's advisors. But when they're gone, you will see something different, should he survive. Don't judge him yet, for he is being controlled.

In government, if you're entire voting base has the ability to talk to itself without restriction and comes up with opinions by itself without restriction, it behooves a politician to be aware and listen to them. This will change what politicians will do. It will change the way things work in government. Don't be surprised when some day a whole nation can vote all at once in a very unusual way. Gone will be the old systems where you used to count on horseback riders to report in from faraway places. Some of you know what I am talking about. Government will change. The systems around you, both dark and light, will change. You're going to start seeing something else, too, so let's change the subject and turn the page. ”