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 Politicsportal |
A five-part referendum was held in Italy on 17 and 18 May 1981. [1] [2] The proposals included repealing laws on public order, life sentences, gun licences, and abortion. All were rejected by voters, with no proposal receiving more than 32% of the vote. [3]
Two referendums were held on the new Law 194, which had legalized abortion. The first referendum was called by the Radical Party, which asked more liberalization abolishing all the remaining limits to the free choice of the women. The second was called by Christian Democracy and the Catholic Church and its related movements for life, trying to restore the ban on abortion.
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 3,588,995 | 11.6 |
 No | 27,395,909 | 88.4 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 3,285,296 | – |
| Total | 34,270,200 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 43,154,682 | 79.4 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver | ||
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 10,119,797 | 32.0 |
| No | 21,505,323 | 68.0 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 2,651,999 | – |
| Total | 34,277,119 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 43,154,682 | 79.4 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver | ||
Although both referendums were rejected, and the percentages of support of the Catholic question was higher than the percentages of the radical one, the result was generally seen as a victory for the Radical Party, which won at least one referendum in a country considered highly influenced by the Catholic Church. The referendum on prohibiting abortion won in one region - Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, specifically the South Tyrol/Bolzano province. [4]
A third referendum was held on repealing the Reale Law, which had been the subject of a referendum in 1978. The referendum was called by the Radical Party, but was only partially supported by the Italian Socialist Party.
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 4,636,809 | 14.9 |
| No | 26,524,667 | 85.1 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 3,095,721 | – |
| Total | 34,257,197 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 43,154,682 | 79.4 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver | ||
The referendum was rejected by the Italian electors, following the positions of all the parties of the so-called Constitutional Arch.
A fourth referendum was called by the Radical Party asking voters to reject life imprisonment as the highest level of punishment for crimes.
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 7,114,719 | 22.6 |
| No | 24,330,954 | 77.4 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 2,831,521 | – |
| Total | 34,277,194 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 43,154,682 | 79.4 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver | ||
The last referendum was called by the Radical Party asking voters to repeal the law on licences to guns, allowing the police to give weapons to some high-risking citizens, thereby banning all citizens from owning guns.
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 4,423,426 | 14.1 |
| No | 26,995,173 | 85.9 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 2,856,777 | – |
| Total | 34,275,376 | 100 |
| Registered voters/turnout | 43,154,682 | 79.6 |
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver | ||
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is an autonomous region of Italy, located in the northern part of the country. The region has a population of 1.1 million, of whom 62% speak Italian as their mother tongue, 30% speak South Tyrolean German and several foreign languages are spoken by immigrant communities. Since the 1970s, most legislative and administrative powers have been transferred to the two self-governing provinces that make up the region: the province of Trento, commonly known as Trentino, and the province of Bolzano, commonly known as South Tyrol. In South Tyrol, German remains the sizeable majority language.
A referendum, in the Italian legal system is a request directed to the whole electorate to express their view on a determined question. It is the main instrument of direct democracy in Italy.
An abrogative referendum on the divorce law was held in Italy on 12 May 1974. Voters were asked whether they wanted to repeal a government law passed three years earlier allowing divorce for the first time in modern Italian history. Those voting "yes" wanted to outlaw divorce as had been the case before the law came into effect, and those voting "no" wanted to retain the law and their newly gained right to divorce. The referendum was defeated by a margin of 59.26% to 40.74% on a voter turnout of 87.72% out of 37 million eligible voters, thus allowing the divorce law to remain in force.
A constitutional referendum was held in France on 5 May 1946. Voters were asked whether they approved of a new draft Constitution proposed by the Constituent Assembly elected in 1945.
A referendum on the order law was held in Luxembourg on 6 June 1937. Voters were asked whether they approved of the new law, which would have banned any political party that sought to change the constitution or national legislation by violence or threats. The law would have resulted in the dissolution of the Communist Party, and became known as the Maulkuerfgesetz.
The Politics of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government and Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Regional Council. However, since a constitutional reform in 1972, almost all the executive and legislative powers are devolved to the two provinces of which the region is composed: Trentino and the South Tyrol.
A double referendum was held in Italy on 11 June 1978. Voters were asked whether they approved of the repealing of laws on political party financing and public order. Both proposals were rejected.
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A twelve-part abrogative referendum was held in Italy on 11 June 1995. Voters were asked whether they approved of the repealing of laws on union representation, union dues, collective contracts for public sector workers, internal exile for mafia members, public ownership of RAI, concessions for television channels, advertising breaks during films, television publicity, commercial licensing, local council elections and shopping hours. Only five of the twelve proposals were passed.
An abrogative referendum on the electoral law was held in Italy on 18 April 1999. Voters were asked whether they approved of replacing the mixed-member proportional representation electoral system with one based solely on single-member constituencies, with the 25% of seats instead allocated to the second-placed in the constituencies with the most votes. The proposal was supported by larger parties, but opposed by smaller ones. Although the proposal was approved by 92% of voters, turnout was only 49.58%, resulting in the referendum being invalidated as the threshold of 50% was not passed.
A seven-part abrogative referendum was held in Italy on 15 June 1997. Voters were asked whether they approved of the repealing of laws on topics including privatisation, conscientious objectors, hunting, the judiciary and journalists, as well as whether the Ministry of Agrarian Politics should be abolished. Although all seven proposals were approved by voters, the voter turnout of 30% was well below the 50% threshold and the results were invalidated.
A seven-part abrogative referendum was held in Italy on 21 May 2000. Voters were asked whether they approved of the repealing of laws on topics including election funding, the electoral system, the judiciary, employment and union dues. Although all but one of the seven proposals were approved by voters, the voter turnout of 32% was well below the 50% threshold and the results were invalidated.
A four-part abrogative referendum on fertility laws was held in Italy on 12 June 2005. Voters were asked whether research and access to the research on embryos should no longer be limited, whether embryos should no longer be legally recognised as people and whether IVF treatment should no longer be limited to three embryos. The referendum was called after the Italian Radicals collected the 500,000 signatures required. Although all four proposals were approved by wide margins, the voter turnout of 26% was well below the 50% threshold and the results were invalidated. Pope Benedict XVI had called for a boycott.
A constitutional referendum on the subject of abortion law was held in Liechtenstein on 27 November 2005. Voters were presented with a "For Life" proposal and a counterproposal by the Landtag. For the first time since 1925, a Landtag counterproposal was approved, whilst the "For Life" initiative was rejected.
A four-part referendum was held in Switzerland on 11 May 1884. All four were rejected by voters.
A referendum on freemasonry was held in Switzerland on 28 November 1937. Voters were asked whether they approved of a popular initiative that would ban the practice. The proposal was rejected by a majority of voters and cantons.
Five referendums were held in Switzerland during 1920. The first three were held on 21 March on a federal law on regulating employment contracts, a ban on creating gambling establishments and a counterproposal to the ban. The fourth was held on 16 May on membership the League of Nations, whilst the fifth was held on 31 October on a federal law on working times on railways and other transport services. Of the five, only the ban on gambling establishments, League of Nations membership and the law on working times were passed.
Five referendums were held in Switzerland during 1929. The first three were held on 3 March on the issues of grain supply and a federal law on tariffs. The counter-proposal to the grain supply question and the tariffs law were both approved. The fourth and fifth referendums were held on 12 May on popular initiatives on road traffic and banning spirits. Both were rejected by voters.
Fourteen referendums were held in Switzerland in 1977. The first three were held on 13 March on popular initiatives on foreign infiltration, limiting naturalisation and changing the rules on referendums on treaties. All three were rejected, whilst the counter-proposal was approved. The next two were held on 12 June on changes to sales tax and direct federal taxation (rejected) and on tax harmonisation (approved).
Eight referendums were held in Switzerland during 2002. The first two were held on 3 March on popular initiatives for Switzerland to join the United Nations and to reduce working hours. UN membership was approved, whilst the shorter working hours proposal was rejected. The next two were held on 2 June on amending the penal code regarding abortion, which was approved, and a popular initiative "for mother and child", which was rejected.
