The Impact of Referendums on the Process of European Integration

• Authors: Elżbieta Kużelewska
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Direct democracy is becoming more and more significant in political life. Not only does it give citizens the right to choose the government, it also gives them the right to contribute to making important decisions, thus improving the quality of citizens' participation in politics. One of the most popular and most commonly used forms of direct democracy used in politics is referendum, the significance of which is still increasing. Both in the countries of Western Europe, where the tradition of democracy is well established, and in Eastern and Central Europe, referenda are effective tools which complement representative power. Recently there has been a significant increase in the importance of referenda during the construction of so-called unified Europe. The aim of this article is to present the influence of referenda on the European integration process.

Keywords

EN

European Union; referendum; EU accession; EU treaties

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Baltic Journal of Law & Politics
• Year: 2009
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 181-200

Dates

published

2009-01-01

online

2010-02-10

Contributors

author

Elżbieta Kużelewska

• Faculty of Law, University of Białystok, Poland

References

• Barcz, Jan, ed. Prawo Unii Europejskiej. Zagadnienia systemowe. Warszawa, 2002.
• Bielawska, Agnieszka, Janusz Wiśniewski, and Katarzyna Żodź. Traktat ustanawiający Konstytucję dla Europy w porównaniu z konstytucjami państw członkowskich Unii Europejskie. Poznań, 2006.
• Bjørklund, Tor. "The Three Nordic 1994 Referenda Concerning Membership in the EU." Cooperation and Conflict Vol. 31 (1) (March 1996): 11-36.
• Bundt, Kate Hansen. "Norwegia a Unia Europejska." In: Stanislaw Miklaszewski, ed. Doświadczenia negocjacji akcesyjnych państw UE. Newsletters No. 41. Kraków, 2000.
• Butler, David, and Austin Ranney. "Practice." In: David Butler and Austin Ranney, eds. Referendums around the World. The Growing Use of Direct Democracy. Washington, 1994.
• Butler, David. "Referendums in Northern Europe." In: Francis Hamon and Olivier Passelecq, eds. Le Référendum en Europe. Bilan et perspectives. Actes du colloque organisé les 28-29 janvier 2000 à la Maison de l'Europe de Paris. Paris, 2000.
• Chalmers, Adam. "Refiguring the European Union's Historical Dimension." European Journal of Political Theory Vol. 5 (4) (2006): 437-454
• Closa, Carlos. "Ratifying the EU Constitution: Referendums and their Implications." U.S.-EUROPE ANALYSIS SERIES (November 2004): 1-10.
• Criddle, Byron. "The French Referendum on the Maastricht Treaty September 1992." Parliamentary Affairs Vol. 46, No. 2 (April 1993): 228-238.
• Dobiecki, Grzegorz. "Francuzi nie chcą unijnej konstytucji." Rzeczpospolita (April 15, 2005).
• Dupont, Cédric, and Pascal Sciarini. "Switzerland and the European Integration Process: Engagement without Marriage." West European Politics Vol. 24, No. 2 (April 2001) (Special Edition: The Swiss Labyrinth. Institutions, Outcomes and Redesign): 211-232.
• Europe Documents No. 1510/1511 (June 18, 1988): 1-20
• Glistrup, Edith. "Le traité sur l'Union européenne: la ratification du Danemark." Revue du Marché commun et de l'Union Européenne No. 374 (January 1994): 9-16.
• Hylarides, Paul. "Voters in the Netherlands Defy the European Constitution." Contemporary Review (August 1, 2005): 86-91.
• Holst, Johan Jørgen. "Norway's EEC referendum: lessons and implications." The World Today Vol. 31 (3) (March 1975): 114-120.
• Jasień, Leszek. Po Amsterdamie, przed rozszerzeniem. Panorama polityczna Unii Europejskiej. Warszawa, Natolin: Kolegium Europejskie, June 1998.
• Jeantet, Thierry. Démocratie directe, démocratie moderne. Paris, 1991.
• Kużelewska Elżbieta, "Holandia wobec procesu integracji europejskiej." In: Elżbieta Kużelewska and Adam R. Bartnicki, eds., Zachód w globalnej i regionalnej polityce międzynarodowej (Toruń, 2009).
• Kużelewska, Elżbieta. Referendum w procesie integracji europejskiej. Warszawa, 2006.
• Laffan, Brigid. The Nice Treaty: The Irish Vote //
• Landau, Alice. "Swiss Neutrality: Burgeoning Policy or Obstinate Continuity?" Studia diplomatica Vol. 46, No. 6 (1993): 59-82.
• Mahon, Pascal, and Christophe Müller. "Adhésion de la Suisse à l'Union européenne et démocratie directe." In: Thomas Cottier and Alwin R. Kopše, eds. L'adhésion de la Suisse à l'Union européenne (Zürich, 1998).
• McLaren, Lauren M. "Explaining Opposition to Turkish Membership of the EU." European Union Politics Vol. 8 (2) (2007): 251-278.
• Mer, Jacques. "Au pays des irréductibles." Politique internationale No. 82 (Winter 1998/99): 421-435.
• Mette, Kari. "Norwegia i UE. Społeczna rola informacji o integracji europejskiej." In: Stanisław Miklaszewski, ed. Doświadczenia negocjacji akcesyjnych państw UE. Newsletters No. 41. Kraków, 2000.
• Negocjacje akcesyjne. Wnioski z doświadczeń Austrii, Finlandii, Norwegii i Szwecji. Warszawa, Natolin: Kolegium Europejskie, April 1999.
• Nicoll, William, and Trevor C. Salmon. Zrozumieć Unię Europejską. Warszawa, 2002.
• Poboży, Monika. "Holandia." In: Konstanty Adam Wojtaszczyk, ed. Prawno-ustrojowy wymiar Traktatów Wspólnotowych. Warszawa, 2007.
• Qvortrup, Matt. "The three Referendums on the European Constitution Treaty in 2005." The Political Quarterly Vol. 77 (1) (January-March 2006): 89-97.
• Sauger, Nicolas, Sylvain Brouard, and Emiliano Grossman. Les Français contre l'Europe? Les sens du référendum du 29 mai 2005. Paris, 2007.
• Shields, Jim G. "Political Representation in France: A Crisis of Democracy?" Parliamentary Affairs Vol. 59, No. 1 (2006): 118-137.
• Siune, Karen, Peter Svensson, and Ole Tonsgaard. "The European Union: The Danes Said ‘No’ in 1992 but ‘Yes’ in 1993: How and Why?" Electoral Studies Vol. 13 (2) (1994): 107-116.
• Siune, Karen, and Svensson Palle. "The Danes and The Maastricht Treaty: The Danish EC Referendum of June 1992." Electoral Studies Vol. 12 (2) (1993): 99-111.
• Steenbergen, Marco R., Erica E. Edwards, and Catherine E. de Vries. "Who's Cueing Whom?: Mass-Elite Linkages and the Future of European Integration." European Union Politics Vol. 8 (1) (2007): 13-35.
• Sur, Serge. "Un bilan du référendum en France." Revue du droit public et de la science politiques en France et l'étranger No. 3 (1985).
• Svåsand, Lars, and Ulf Lindström. "Sliding Towards EC Membership: Norway in Scandinavian Perspective." Government and Opposition Vol. 27 (3) (Summer 1992): 330-344.
• Szostkiewicz, Adam. "Tygrys szczerzy kły." Polityka No. 42 (2002).
• Wagner, Markus. France and the Referendum on the EU Constitution //
• Zieliński, Jacek. "Doświadczenia ostatnich głosowań w referendum europejskim: Norwegia i Irlandia." In: Tadeusz Mołdawa, Konstanty Wojtaszczyk, and Adam Szymański, eds. Wymiar społeczny członkostwa Polski w Unii Europejskiej. Warszawa, 2003.

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10076-009-0016-6