Rediscovering Europe in the Netherlands - St Antony's College ...

ediscovering europe in the netherlands
possibility of influencing policy is therefore only manifested in a ‘No’ vote
and the way in which the government consequently responds to a negative
outcome. Furthermore, if no alternatives are available, it is more attractive
for voters to cast a conservative ‘No’ vote instead of a ‘Yes’ vote in favour
of what can be perceived as a threatening unknown (Prast 2007: 24).
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The ‘blunt’ nature of the referendum manifested itself in the wake of the
referendum on the Constitutional Treaty. The negative outcome of the
referendum plunged the government into an uncomfortable dilemma. It
could, on the one hand, not ignore the referendum outcome, and would
have to find some way of doing justice to it. However, on the other hand,
the outcome of the referendum did not provide the government with any
clear direction whatsoever. The Dutch position during the consequent
Treaty review could thus not be directly deduced from the referendum’s
outcome. Were Dutch voters mainly voting against symbolic elements in
the Constitutional treaty (flag, anthem, constitutional label), or was the
‘No’ vote inspired primarily by the institutional changes (such as the
proposed introduction of an eu Minister of Foreign Affairs)? Or did the
changes that would make the eu more democratic, not go far enough for
Dutch voters? Only additional surveys of the public, in the form of electoral
surveys, can provide answers to these questions.
The timing of a referendum may account for further complications, especially
when it comes to the ratification of treaties. The text on which people
are asked to vote leaves little room for substantial amendments when all
governments, often after a difficult negotiation process, have committed
themselves to the text that is being put to the vote. Moreover, a country
which does not ratify a treaty can find itself diametrically opposed to those
countries which have ratified the treaty and may thus end up finding themselves
isolated from other member states.
The arguments concerning the weakening of the representative system
and the bluntness of the referendum instrument can only be addressed by
applying strict conditions. To ensure that referenda strengthen rather than
weaken the representative system, it is at the very least necessary that the
roles of both citizens and of politicians and policy makers are secured and
clearly defined.
Citizens should not only be allowed to cast a vote, but should also be
involved in the question of whether there should be a referendum at all.
At the very least, there must be sufficient public support for a referendum.
A citizen initiative offers the most comprehensive safeguards in this
respect. This can prevent insecure politicians from using referenda as a