Référendums en Italie : la démocratie directe dans des conditions contrôlées

The article analyzes the use of direct democracy in Italy, contrasting the success of the 1974 divorce referendum in advancing civil rights with later examples, such as the 1993 electoral reform and the 2020 parliamentary reduction, which the author suggests provided an illusion of change or risked fostering authoritarian tendencies. It concludes that true democratic sovereignty requires social justice and inclusion rather than relying solely on referendums.

• The Italian Constitution limits direct democracy to strictly defined circumstances to prevent a return to authoritarianism, reflecting the fears of the post-WWII Constituent Assembly regarding the compatibility of direct democracy with a parliamentary government.
• The 1974 abrogative referendum on divorce is cited as a successful instance where direct democracy gave a voice to civil society and progressive movements, with nearly 60% of voters opposing the repeal of divorce laws.
• The 1993 referendum to change the Senate's electoral system, approved by over 80% of voters, is presented as a problematic example that did not reduce corruption and instead intensified the direct relationship between leaders and the people, echoing past authoritarian patterns.
• The September 2020 constitutional referendum to reduce the number of members of Parliament was approved by nearly 70% of voters, but the author suggests this may be an 'illusion' of power rather than a catalyst for concrete improvement in representation quality.
• The author concludes that referendums are not always inclusive vectors of democracy and that genuine sovereign voice for the people is achieved through social justice and inclusion rather than through the mechanism of the referendum alone.

APA

Bonini, M. (2021). Référendums en Italie : la démocratie directe dans des conditions contrôlées. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-en-italie%e2%80%af-la-democratie-directe-dans-des-conditions-controlees/

Chicago

Bonini, Monica. Référendums en Italie : la démocratie directe dans des conditions contrôlées. Green European Journal, 2021. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-en-italie%e2%80%af-la-democratie-directe-dans-des-conditions-controlees/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bonini |first1=Monica |title=Référendums en Italie : la démocratie directe dans des conditions contrôlées |publisher=Green European Journal |date=26 November 2021 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-en-italie%e2%80%af-la-democratie-directe-dans-des-conditions-controlees/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bonini2021rfrendums, author = {Bonini, Monica}, title = {{Référendums en Italie : la démocratie directe dans des conditions contrôlées}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/referendums-en-italie%e2%80%af-la-democratie-directe-dans-des-conditions-controlees/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }