There is little chance that municipalities and provinces will be allowed to hold binding referendums where citizens can reverse a decision. The House of Representatives will soon vote on a special SP bill on a “corrective referendum” and the law is not expected to be passed. But an urgent move could change things: The bill could be split into two parts.
Until now, the discussion has focused on the rollback of national laws, but the PS proposal also includes a section on provinces and municipalities. According to the private member’s bill, they can decide for themselves whether they want to make the referendum possible.
Probably not a two-thirds majority now
Since it is a constitutional amendment, the law must be passed twice by both houses, a second time by a two-thirds majority. The vote in the Second reading in the House of Representatives will take place in the coming weeks. There does not seem to be a two-thirds majority, because VVD, CDA and SGP are against it anyway.
But in today’s discussion, D66 suggested splitting the proposal into a national chapter and a chapter for sub-governments. MP Sneller thinks he has more sympathy for a referendum on municipal and government decisions in the House of Representatives than for national laws.
Bruins Nest: splitting is legally possible
According to MP SP Leijten, who submitted the bill of the private members, it would be “very good” if part of the law could be passed in this way. Minister Bruins Slot of the Interior has made it clear that such a split does not occur often, but is legally possible.
CDA MP Van Dijk said during the debate that he was “personally not at all negative” about the possibility of a referendum for lower governments, but that this is a new element in the debate of which he does not yet have a clear picture. Van Dijk wants to “seriously present the plan to the group”, but emphasized that this does not mean that the position of the CDA will change.
The referendum could take place next week, but it could also be later. If the bill is split and put to the vote again, two separate proposals will require a two-thirds majority.
Source: NOS
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