International

A majority of the people in The Netherlands want to have more influence on important political issues. A binding corrective referendum is a useful democratic tool for this. It gives people the opportunity to call back administrators if decisions have been taken to which a majority in the country is opposed. The SP therefore proposed that the binding corrective referendum be included in the Constitution.

Unfortunately, the Lower House rejected the SP proposal at second reading today. But that referendum is going to happen if it is up to SP MP Renske Leijten. Too many people feel, quite rightly, let down by politics and government. A referendum is a good way to give people a voice and it forces politicians to listen more carefully. That is why today the SP is presenting a new bill to make a binding corrective referendum possible in the Netherlands.

Since the Constitution must be amended to introduce a binding corrective referendum, a bill must pass through the Lower and Upper Houses twice. At the first vote, a simple majority of votes must be obtained. In the second vote, after new Parliamentary elections, the proposal must be adopted by a two-thirds majority. Leijten is therefore making a new attempt to introduce the binding corrective referendum.

After the next Parliamentary elections, there could in fact be a two-thirds majority for the referendum. Only a few more seats are needed, it emerged today. The chances look good, because a majority of the Netherlands is in favour of the introduction of a referendum. Several state commissions have also recommended that a corrective binding referendum be made possible.
Many people are turning their backs on current politics. Which is both understandable and very worrying. A referendum will increase the involvement of many people in important social discussions. The history of the referendum in the Netherlands is turbulent. Today we added another important chapter. We're not there yet, but the referendum will succeed!