Tag: Referendum

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans held hands in a 400-km human chain across their region on Wednesday (11 September) to press the Spanish government to let them vote on breaking away and forming their own country.

Danish opposition leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen has ratcheted up the pressure on Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt to launch a referendum on two of Denmark’s EU opt-outs by calling for one “at the earliest opportunity”.

Prime Minister David Cameron suffered an embarrassing blow in parliament yesterday (15 May) when more than a third of his Conservative lawmakers voted against him in protest at his stance on Britain's membership of the European Union.

Only one in three Britons would vote for the UK to remain part of the EU, according to a poll by Harris Interactive for the Financial Times.

Ideally, Britain wants a European-wide free trade area without the supranational institutional apparatus, something it proposed during the 1950s. Yet, unless the euro implodes, that's not the future of the EU, say Dr Michael J. Geary and Kevin A. Lees.

Catalonia's parliament approved yesterday (23 January) a declaration of sovereignty signalling the start of an uncertain journey towards a referendum on independence from Spain for the north-eastern region.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron promised today (23 January) to offer Britons a simple ‘in/out’ referendum choice on whether to stay in the European Union if he wins the next election, scheduled for 2015. EurActiv brings you the highlights and the main reactions.

British Prime Minister David Cameron postponed a much-anticipated speech today (18 January) on Britain's future role in the European Union because of the hostage crisis at an Algerian gas plant where several Europeans were believed to be among those held. Aides said a new date would be announced later.

A law was recently adopted in Ukraine allowing constitutional change by referendum. The law should be carefully welcomed by the EU, argues Bruno Vandecasteele.

Prime Minister David Cameron will spell out plans to dilute Britain's membership in the European Union on Friday (18 January) in the Netherlands, a move that could reshape its role in the world, upset some of the premier's allies and decide his government's fate.

David Cameron should attempt to avoid table-banging and demand the unlimited repatriation of powers from Europe in a forthcoming speech, according to the head of a new cross-party organisation launched this year. Whatever the British prime minister says, however, the UK is gearing up for a campaign on some form of referendum on its relationship with Europe, Peter Wilding tells EurActiv.

Over the past few days, the anti-European rhetoric coming from the British government has been increasing. But what effect does such talk have on Britain's standing in the EU?

Lithuania will hold a referendum on whether to build the Visaginas nuclear energy plant when voters go to the polls on 14 October to elect members of Parliament. Meanwhile, Bulgarians will probably vote on the future of its Belene nuclear station before the end of the year. 

On 12 September Germany's constitutional court will issue a preliminary verdict on the European Stability Mechanism and the fiscal compact. Whatever the court does, the debate about a new, pro-European constitution will hot up this autumn. But do not be fooled: Germany is still a very long way from agreeing to eurobonds, says Katinka Barysch.

Europe is the key to the future of the coalition government in Britain. Unless the current tendency to pander to the eurosceptic right is abandoned, the Liberal Democrats will be inevitably driven into a future coalition with a Labour Party that has declined to commit political suicide by heading too far to the left, writes Tom Spencer.

Former EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson issued a ‘wake-up call’ to pro-Europeans, demanded a referendum on the future of the UK in Europe, and claimed the EU’s institutions need to be reformed.

Nearly 75% of Latvian voters rejected Russian as a second official language in a weekend referendum that triggered triggered renewed criticism from Moscow and is likely to heighten ethnic tensions in the former Soviet republic.

As Croatians prepared to vote in a referendum to join the European Union on Sunday (22 January), officials warned that a negative outcome would result in the collapse of the country's credit ratings. EurActiv reports based on the coverage by Lider, its Croatian partner.

The European citizens' initiative, one of the main innovations of the Lisbon Treaty to engage the people of Europe, is too 'weak' to bridge the democratic gap as it preserves the legislative monopoly of the European Commission, Switzerland’s leading expert on direct democracy said in an interview with EurActiv.

Britain's Parliament rejected a call for a referendum on leaving the European Union on Monday (24 October), but a large-scale revolt against Prime Minister David Cameron hurt his authority and cast doubt on the country's long-term commitment to Europe.

Seven EU members which joined the European Union between 2004 and 2007 are concerned about an obligation to adopt the euro under the terms of their accession and could stage referenda to change their accession treaties, AFP reported, quoting diplomatic sources.

Campaigners are urging Italians living abroad to vote in a 12-13 June referendum on relaunching nuclear power.

Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats appear to have been big losers in local elections and a referendum on voting reform held yesterday (5 May). Early results show a surge in support for the Scottish National Party in Scotland, which could pave the way for a referendum on Scottish independence.