Abstract

The strong political connotation of the abrogative referendum, and its instrumentalisation to political goals, have often been used to resolve internal issues within government majorities in order to foster their visibility and programmatic proposals. Both the Court’s cautious and oscillating attitude in admitting referenda on matters of greater weight (from institutional issues to ethical and social themes), and the parliamentary will (in many cases capable of seizing the referendum stimulus by producing legislative change) have negatively affected popular participation, often preventing the referendum from being valid. The issue of abstentionism in political, administrative and referendum elections points to an enduring crisis of trust by the people in relation to the real ability of the popular will to influence the legal system, a mistrust that dangerously affects Italian representative democracy itself and which has deeper causes than the observed scarce appeal of the abrogative referendum.