Referendums are a very rare process. In Greece, in the last 40 years, only one referendum has been held, that of 2015. Generally, referendums concern very important national decisions, which are taken directly by the people, through their vote. There were strong reactions in our country regarding the referendum of 2015. But a referendum became a concern not only for the Greek public but also for the British people with the recent Brexit referendum. So, due to their hike in popularity, it is useful to analyze whether, and to what extent, referendums should be taking place.
Undoubtedly, the referendum process has positive aspects. It was through a referendum that Democracy was established in Greece with the abolition of the monarchy, which demonstrates the historical importance of referendums. In addition, referendums allow the people to decide on an issue in the most direct way, without their request being lost or diluted in the bureaucracy of parliamentary procedures. This way, the decision of the people is not endangered by the existence of party lines and interests, which would perhaps influence the representatives.
A clear-cut decision, however, is far from reality. A brilliant example is the British referendum on leaving the EU. While the British voted leave, it was unclear how this would be done. Many scenarios were created on how Brexit would work, but these have come from political consultations, negotiations and all the red tape that a referendum is meant to circumvent. The result was the UK's departure from the Union but not with the kind of exit the British people wanted.
Unfortunately, party lines also continue to be present in referendums. The difference is that in this case, it’s not only the MPs that are called to be party-compliant but the entire voting public. And party influence doesn't stop there: beyond the popularity a party brings to one side of the referendum or the other, there are more benefits. Parties use their resources to build or finance the campaign for the outcome they support. The absence of a major party in the referendum discussion can also be influential to the outcome. Many blame the Labor Party's lack of involvement in the referendum, as a reason for the UK leaving the EU.
Referendums are therefore inappropriate in some cases. Both in the case of 2015 in Greece and Brexit, they were not decisions for which the people should bear the responsibility. It was just too complicated. In one case, we had the lenders' agreement, the content of which was understandable only to those who were knowledgeable about finance, something we cannot expect from the average citizen. In the case of Brexit, it was even more complicated: in addition to economic knowledge, it required geopolitical, sociopolitical and knowledge of a host of other subjects, which would be impossible not only for the average citizen but for anyone individually to know. At the same time, in both referendums, subsequent negotiations were required by the respective governments. In these, citizens were unaware of their country's bargaining power, since they were not aware what was happening behind closed doors. So in both cases, there was a gap in knowledge and information for the citizens, who made decisions based on insufficient data.
Of course, when a person relies on weak foundations to make a decision, that decision may be the product of deception. Simplifying two extremely complex subjects into a one-word answer was surely going to lead to fake news and propaganda. In Greece, the "no" vote had been misinterpreted by some to mean leaving Europe, which was not the case. In Britain, there were just as many targeted false messages, such as the famous £350m slogan on the side of a bus.
In conclusion, referendums carry many risks, especially in the case of complex issues. The decision to hold a referendum is usually associated with a lack of political courage and determination on the part of the government, who redirect the responsibility of a politically damaging or difficult decision to the people. In no way, of course, does this diminish the importance of referendums for a democracy. Moreover, it certainly does not mean that we are entitled to refrain from them, even if they seem complicated. If indeed they are, let's do our best to have an informed vote. Because partial ignorance is to be expected, but complete ignorance is indifference.
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