Green Party Congress in Germany: Habeck against referendums at the federal level

Green leader Robert Habeck has warned his party against wanting to allow future referendums at the federal level.

Berlin - "I think: Brexit was triggered by a referendum, Europe's constitution was prevented by it," Habeck told the newspapers of the Funke-Mediengruppe (Saturday edition). At the continuation of the digital party congress that started on Friday, the delegates of the eco party will vote this Saturday on demands to anchor more elements of direct democracy nationwide. Multi-stage citizens' petitions are already anchored in all 16 state constitutions.

Habeck thinks this is not a good idea in the federal government: "The question is what problem a nationwide referendum solves. One problem is that many are not heard enough - in parliament, for example, there are hardly any MPs with intermediate maturity or basically nobody with a first degree. There is a better model to answer that, the citizens' councils, "he said.

Citizens would be chosen by lot. Representative citizens' councils could then submit proposals on specific questions to parliaments. "I think that this form of direct participation really means empowerment."

Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) recently announced that he wanted to involve more citizens' councils in the decision-making processes of parliament. Habeck expects intense debates at the party congress. From the circle of delegates it was said that it was unclear whether the board would prevail with its line.

Several motions have been submitted by supporters of referendums. For example, the Federal Working Group on Democracy and Law is vehemently promoting it. At the instigation of the Greens, a three-stage process of direct democracy (initiative, request, decision) has often been successfully used at local and state level in recent years. This form of participation is an effective means of countering developments of perceived powerlessness towards political decisions and political disenchantment. "We must also clear this path at the federal level and thus show that trust is not a one-way street," it says. Another application for the basic program, which more than 175 Greens have signed, also promotes referendums at the federal level.

Source: DerNewsticker.de