Abstract
Direct democratic choices have been of great importance in Central and Eastern European countries since they have marked the key steps on those states’ paths to democracy. Direct democracy – particularly referenda – is arousing increasing interest among politicians and the electorate, which is manifested in the ongoing public debate on the role of civil participation in decision-making processes, as well as in the increase in the number of national referenda held in Europe and worldwide. Hence, studies on referenda in Central and Eastern Europe seem to be a very interesting and academically important task worthy of further exploration. The main research aim of this paper is to answer the question of the role of nationwide referenda in the political practice of Central and Eastern European states, as well as the question of the future prospects for the use of referenda. More emphasis is placed on referenda conducted after 1989. On the basis of these research results, referenda are divided into three categories: independence referenda, so called “deepening” referenda and accession referenda.References
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