Title: The philosophy of Direct Democracy - why we need it in order to democratize Democracy and what has been achieved so far in Europe
1 The philosophy of Direct Democracy -why we need
it in order to democratize Democracy and what has
been achieved so far in Europe
- Contribution to the seminar participacion
ciudadana y democracia of the gobierno vasco - by Andreas Gross (Switzerland)
- Directeur de lAtelier pour la Democratie Directe
à St.Ursanne /CH Political Scientist, Swiss MP
Leader of the Socialists in the PACE - Bilbao, 21st of January 2009
- www.andigross.ch info_at_andigross.ch
2 Structure of my presentation on Direct Democracy
(DD)
- 5 keystones of the philosophy
- 5 central elements of a good design
- The most important effects (New political
culture) - Still a European and global exception
- Why DD is so important to overcome the crises of
Democracy
31. Democracy is a ongoing, never ending process.
- No Democracy is perfect, every Democracy is
unfinished - The process of democracy has
always a beginning, but never a end It started
in town, went on to regions, states... It
started in Assemblys, went on to Representation,
does not have to end here...
42. Citizens are subjects, not objects of Democracy
- Empowerment turns the problem upside down
Those who have it, should get it back, should be
able to keep more of it. - The idea of Democracy
is to enable freedom More than a choice, not
possible to consume - The idea of Freedom Life
is not a destiny, we should be able to organize
it as we think its right !
53. DD is no alternative to representative
DemocracyIt makes it more representative !
- Democracy is just more than representative
Democracy only ! - Representatives just do not
have the monopole of Democracy and Politics
Otherwise you have a Representocracy and a
Partitocracy ! - Representation is important,
but not the only possible Democracy
64. In a Direct Democracy the power is really
shared
- Nobody has so much power, that he does not has
to learn from time to time. - The more you
organize the participation of citizens the more
they learn and feel part of the decision making
process. - The more you can also make use of the
creativity and the cultural richness of the
society
75. The more and better DD you have, the more you
can integrate diversity and unity
- Modern societies are all diverse and
pluralistic You have to establish a decision
making process which respects this diversity and
enables unity on the basis of the highest
possible legitimacy ! - DD is the sister of
federalism and decentralisation of power.
8II.Five central elements of a well designed
Direct Democracy
1. Every constitution and law has to open for
citizen participation 2. A referendum is a
option for few citizens (1-2/6-18 months of
collection time) enabling all citizens to
participate 3. Free signature gathering 4. No
quorums for participation and validation 5.
Fairness rules for campaigning and public access
9III. A well designed DD produces cornerstones for
a new political culture
1. Politics become softer and more
communicative more reflection, more
deliberation, more understanding, less alienation
! 2. Politicians and parties do not only speak,
they also have to listen and learn. 3. The
distances between citizens and institutions get
smaller. 4. Citizens become more responsable
10IV. A well designed DD is still a exception in
Europe
1. Only 9 out of 47 countries in EU have a rich
DD experience (Uruguay and Palau too) 2. Italy
Quorum kills DK Europe only Ireland
Constitution only Baltics/Hung/Slovakia Too
exclusive SloveniaLaw onlyF Plebiscites only
CH No financial fairness Liechtenstein
Hegemony of the Kaiser.... 3. Since 1972 50
European Referendums on European Affairs ! 4.
Too elitist, too occasional and too difficult !
11V. To overcome the one element of the Crises of
Democracy is the condition to overcome the second
!
We have today a double crises of Democracy Too
representative and too national In order to
civilize markets we also need transnational
democracy A real European constitution with a
double power sharing (Italian Referendum 1989)
and a global democratic polity !