Hi r/AskEurope! I’m curious about the prevalence and importance of ballot referenda across Europe.
For context: I live in Portland Oregon USA where we vote on a wide range of referenda every year. Citizen-initiated ballot measures are usually the “major events” of our political landscape. Everything from legalizing marijuana (2014) to adopting universal vote-by-mail (1998) to allowing for physician-assisted suicide (1994) to funding the renovation of high schools (every few years) to changing our form of city government (2022) to refusing to fluoridate our water (again and again). We regularly amend the state constitution (the highest law of the land, after the national constitution) by referendum. Most new city and county taxes are passed by referendum, too.
I spend about a third of the year in Brussels (fell for a Eurocrat) and haven’t heard of any referenda in Belgium.
I’m curious where in Europe your ballot asks for your vote not only on your representatives, but also on actual policy questions? Brexit and the Scottish referendum are obviously very famous examples, but are votes on, say, whether to fund a new school or change local traffic laws typical?
Thank you so much, and happy New Year to all!