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A man casts his vote in Guinea\u2019s constitutional referendum at the polling station at Taouyah Primary School in Conakry on 21 September 2025. <\/p>\n
AFP <\/p>\n
The Centre for Democracy Studies Aarau now produces an annual overview of referendums held in Switzerland and around the world. Political expert Mara Labud explains why this is important.\n<\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
May 6, 2026 – 09:00\n<\/p>\n
\u201cDirect democracy is of great interest to us in and of itself,\u201d says Mara Labud of the Centre for Democracy Studies Aarau (ZDA), a research institute in the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. After all, it is \u201cthe most direct way for people to decide what rules they want to live by\u201d.<\/p>\n
The expert is one of the authors of the 2025 World of Referendums report. The ZDA plans henceforth to publish a yearly overview of the global state of direct democracy. While Switzerland features prominently in the report \u2013 many of the world\u2019s referendums take place there \u2013 the text also highlights how popular votes have been held in countries such as Ecuador and Slovenia.<\/p>\n
No US military bases in Ecuador<\/p>\n
In 2025, nine countries plus the Cayman Islands \u2013 a British Overseas Territory \u2013 held referendums. In Ecuador, for instance, a clear majority voted against United States military bases in the country; in Slovenia, a narrower majority rejected a law on assisted dying; and in the Cayman Islands, a majority of the population voted to decriminalise cannabis use. In Taiwan<\/a> and Italy<\/a> in 2025, referendums failed to reach the legal threshold of votes to be valid.<\/p>\n While referendums are often seen as a fair way to translate the will of the majority into policy, this is not always the case, the report also notes. It cites the \u201cunofficial Voks 2025 consultation\u201d in Hungary, whereby then-President Viktor Orb\u00e1n sought to legitimise his political stance towards Ukraine, and the vote on a new draft constitution in Guinea, \u201cput forward by the ruling military junta\u201d.<\/p>\n Why military dictatorships need referendums<\/p>\n In 2025, \u201creferendums were used in only two autocracies\u201d, Labud explains. It is important, however, to distinguish between Hungary and Guinea. \u201cHungary has just voted Orb\u00e1n out of office, whereas in Guinea, the leader of the 2021 military coup was elected president last year,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n >>Read more about how direct democracy became part of Orb\u00e1n\u2019s \u2018illiberal\u2019 toolkit in Hungary:<\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Global elections\n <\/p>\n How direct democracy became part of Orb\u00e1n\u2019s \u2018illiberal\u2019 toolkit in Hungary <\/p>\n This content was published on <\/p>\n Mar 31, 2026 <\/p>\n Since 2010, Hungarian authorities have channelled public sentiment with a range of direct-democratic tools \u2013 including one which even Switzerland\u2019s ample repertoire lacks. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more: How direct democracy became part of Orb\u00e1n\u2019s \u2018illiberal\u2019 toolkit in Hungary In Hungary, the decision helped to lay the groundwork for a political argument, while in Guinea it was about \u201ceffectively consolidating the president\u2019s power\u201d. A reported 90% of Guineans voted in favour. In both cases, Labud stresses, the results are not independently verifiable. \u00a0<\/p>\n The referendum in Guinea fits neatly into \u201ca tradition of referendums following military coups\u201d, Labud says. With its 15 million inhabitants, Guinea is the fourth country in West Africa\u2019s \u201cso-called coup belt\u201d to have held a referendum, after Mali, Chad and Gabon. \u201cBecause the military were never elected by the people, they need to legitimise their rule in other ways. Referendums are a tried and tested means of doing so,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n >>When is a democracy no longer a democracy \u2013 read our background article on this topic: <\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Democracy\n <\/p>\n When is a democracy no longer a democracy? <\/p>\n This content was published on <\/p>\n Apr 16, 2026 <\/p>\n Beyond Switzerland\u2019s borders, democracy is under pressure. But with gradual decay as much the cause as violent coups, it\u2019s not always clear when, or if, it really \u201cends\u201d. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more: When is a democracy no longer a democracy? Fewer referendums than in the past decade<\/p>\n Some 30 national referendums were held globally in 2025. This is \u201caround 12 fewer\u201d than in the previous year and less than the average over the past ten years, Labud explains.<\/p>\n Switzerland, too, held fewer national referendums in 2025 than the average. From a historical perspective, however, the number remains high.<\/p>\n According to Labud, it is only since the 1990s that so many referendums have been held globally: \u201cAround three times as many referendums take place now as 70 years ago. We expect the number of national referendums worldwide to remain roughly at today\u2019s level over the next few years.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"lots](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776229367_961_611203405_highres.jpg\")
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