E. Further issues on referendums

Section II -  Advisory referendum

The instrument is foreseen in Article 17 RL, but it is a fundamental question whether advisory referendums are appropriate at all. Due to their purely advisory nature, they may backfire and create more discontent if they are not honoured by the law-making authorities. This may waste the energy of the citizens, and – most importantly – serve as a pretext for the lawmaker to shove off responsibility, and in any case blur the political responsibilities.