Referendum as a direct democracy tool in successor states of former Yugoslavia

In: Przegląd politologiczny: kwartalnik = Political science review, Heft 2, S. 49-63

Abstract

Changes that have occurred in 1989–1991 ended the bipolar division of the world and commenced a new wave democratic transformation. In the early 1990s, the dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) brought a number of changes to the region. Some of the changes were decided via the referendum which seems to be an exceptionally important tool in the process of democratic transformations in CEE. The article focuses on the institution of a nation-wide referendum in successor states of former Yugoslavia: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. The main purpose is to provide an answer to the question about the role of this particular tool in these states and define directions for further use of referendum in this part of Europe. To meet its research objective, the article uses systemic analysis and institutional and legal approach, and statistics on results of national referendums in the countries concerned.