“Institutions of direct democracy”

TASS reports on Putin’s annual address to the Russian parliament (the Duma and the Federation Council):

The policy of developing the political system and institutions of direct democracy, as well as enhancing the elections’ competitiveness will be continued, the president notes.

I can’t think of “institutions of direct democracy” in our time apart from referendums and village assemblies. Hopefully he wasn’t talking about a referendum to abolish term limits for his office and/or declare him Pater Patriae.

One could argue that a plebiscite is a one-time event, not an institution, but in Germany, especially in Bavaria, local issues are often resolved by local referendums. In Moscow city, a referendum on parking fees or street redesign would surely be welcome.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *