Why the Referendum on Brexit has not Become a Triumph of Democracy | VoxUkraine

Why the Referendum on Brexit has not Become a Triumph of Democracy

30 June 2016
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The UK’s referendum on the EU membership may appear as yet another example of democracy in action. First, politicians have given the people the chance to make such an important decision. Next, they seem to have accepted the result as “an instruction that must be delivered”. But what if the Brexit vote is actually a sign of the fragility of democracy? Holding the referendum was too risky since this instrument was not yet sufficiently institutionalized in the British democracy. The very decision to hold it and its outcome seem to have resulted from the mistakes of the UK’s leaders.

Full text is available in Ukrainian and Russian.

Authors
  • Rostyslav Averchuk, VoxUkraine guest editor, a graduate of BA program “Philosophy, politics, economics” of Oxford university

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The author doesn`t work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have no relevant affiliations