Fourteen referenda can be signed in March. The concerns are very different, for example, the initiators argue for daily gymnastics lessons in schools, the ban on the pesticide glyphosate or the abolition of party financing.
They can be divided into areas such as environment and sustainability (e.g. ‘Don’t throw away food’, ‘No to nuclear greenwashing’), foreign policy (e.g. ‘Do not join NATO’), domestic policy (e.g. ‘Abolish party support af’ ”), education (e.g. daily gym class) and healthcare (e.g. expansion of intensive care beds). Lower energy prices and “no mandatory use of electric cars” are also needed.
Tests required by the government
What is particularly striking about the fourteen referenda is the title ‘Are you smart?’. This petition wants future members of the federal government to take tests on their general and specialist knowledge. The results must then be publicly visible.
With the new referendums, which can be signed between March 11 and 18, the trend continues this year (see graph below). Since a change in the law in 2018, requests can also be signed online. Since then the number of supporters has increased.
Here you can see how many referendums have been held in recent decades.
ÖVP and the Greens want reforms
However, the government continues to push for reforms. The democratic instrument should not be used for business interests, the report said. Anyone who registers and registers a referendum currently has to pay around 3,400 euros. Once the required 100,000 signatures have been reached, the initiators will receive five times the fee back. In other words, you get more money than you spent.
It is discussed that in the future only the actual costs should be reimbursed. The FPÖ is in favor of maintaining the current arrangement, the NEOS wants a ‘sense of proportion’ and ‘an appropriate reimbursement of costs’. In principle, however, the party was prepared to make changes.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
