| Il referendum nel Benelux |
| Fascicolo 2005-3 |
| Scritto da Pacifico Maria |
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Sommario 1. L’ordinamento federale belga, una risposta originale al problema della rappresentatività e della democrazia. – 2. L’istituto del referendum in Belgio. – 3. La consultazione popolare a livello provinciale e comunale. – 4. Il referendum nel Granducato del Lussemburgo. – 5. Il referendum nei Paesi Bassi. – 6. Cenni conclusivi.
Abstract The article focuses on referendums in Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland. In Belgium referendums are not common at federal, regional or community level, while referendums are provided for at municipal and provincial level. In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg referendums have never had a great success, even though the Constitution provides for legislative and constitutional referendums. The referendum on 10th July, concerning the European Constitutional Treaty, will be the first in the recent history of Luxembourg. On the contrary, local referendums are quite common. In Holland, considering the lack of provisions in the constitution, it has always been believed that it is possible to hold consultative referendums, but not legally binding referendums. Holland has decided to use this uncommon instrument to decide whether to ratify the European Constitutional Treaty, on the contrary consultative referendums are more frequent at municipal level. The analysis of referendums in Benelux demonstrates a considerable discrepancy between the national level (referendums are used very little or are completely unknown) and local level (where referendums are used more frequently). In more recent times, the debate concerning referendums has become more heated in the light of European integration as many consider them as instruments that can bring citizens closer to the institutions of the European Community. |