Direct democracy in the political system of the Czech Republic: Current status and prospects for the future
Abstract
Czech experience in the field of referendums is rather limited. Only one nationwide referendum which has been held so far, took place in 2003 and concerned the membership of the Republic in the European Union. The experience of referendums at the local level is incomparably richer: decisions related to environmental matters have gained importance. The greatest interest was raised by referendums on the creation of new municipalities, storage of radioactive waste and elements of radar to be included in the anti-missile shield.
It is most probable that referendums will not be used more often than before at the state level in the Czech Republic in the future. This assumption is supported by the lack of such historical experiences as well as the unwillingness of political decision makers. Only local communities often use this kind of opportunity to express their stance on important matters. Significant support on the political scene has been obtained by groups who even call for direct democracy to play a more important role than before in the political system of the Republic. These are not the strongest parties in the Czech Parliament.
Keywords
direct democracy; Czech Republic; Czech political system; local referendums in Czech Republic
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Jagiellonian University in Kraków Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6124-5341
Dr hab., adiunkt w Instytucie Europeistyki UJ w Krakowie. Zainteresowania naukowe związane m.in. europejskimi mikropaństwami, z systemami politycznymi oraz problematyką zewnętrzną i wewnętrzną państw Europy Środkowowschodniej.
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