Local Direct Democracy in Europe

Description

Modern direct democracy has recently become an important element of political life in many countries. These developments can be observed at the national, regional, and local level of political systems. Participation and democracy in local political affairs play a major role in stabilising and developing democratic systems. This volume presents, for the first time, a broad basis of information on the wide variety of local institutions and practice of direct democracy in 19 countries. Country specialists analyse - the role of direct democracy in the institutional context and culture of national political systems, - political processes of introduction and development of initiatives and referendums, - regulations of procedures of municipal direct democracy, - practice of local direct democracy, - the contribution of local direct democracy to democratic development in general. Front Matter....Pages 1-7 Local Direct Democracy in Europe – a comparative overview....Pages 9-29 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 The uneasy balance between participation and representation: local direct democracy in the Czech Republic....Pages 33-53 Local direct democracy in Germany – varieties in a federal state....Pages 54-74 The institutionalisation of the referendum in the Italian political system: from the national to regional and local levels....Pages 75-112 Direct democracy in local politics in Norway....Pages 113-125 Twenty years of Polish direct democracy at the local level....Pages 126-137 Second-order direct democracy in Switzerland: How sub-national experiences differ from national ballots....Pages 138-156 Direct Democracy at the local level: a comparison of eight municipalities from four countries around Lake Constance (Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland)....Pages 157-169 Front Matter....Pages 171-171 Direct democracy in Britain: citizens’ empowerment or political cosmetics?....Pages 173-183 Towards a law on local direct democracy in Bulgaria....Pages 184-192 Denmark – fragments of local direct democracy....Pages 193-201 Local popular votes in Finland – procedures and experiences....Pages 202-225 Local referendums in France: a disappointing experience....Pages 226-236 Slovakia – restricted direct democracy in local politics....Pages 237-244 Direct democracy in Slovenia – poor practice at the local level....Pages 245-253 Sweden: Better late than never. Towards a stronger initiative right in local politics....Pages 254-267 Democratic participation at the local level in post-communist states: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania....Pages 268-289 Back Matter....Pages 291-292