Despite the
fact that the EU has for more than five decades been a guarantee for the
peaceful coexistence of the different states on this formerly war-shaken
continent, the British population has now voted for leaving the European Union.
After the result of the vote became publicly known, great numbers of the
population obviously were shocked by
this development which nobody would have predicted. It became clear, that the
vote had been more about emotions than about facts, since Google recorded the
phrase “What is the EU?” as the most numerous search-request in the hours after
the vote*. Most of the voters were neither aware of the economical nor the
political consequences their vote would have for their country – which they
cannot even be blamed for. They were made the pawns in a highly emotionally
conducted debate by the political leaders, especially the populist parties
appealing to the voters’ anxieties. As a matter of fact, most common people
would prove unable to cope with so complex an issue, this is exactly the reason
why in a democracy representatives are elected. Their duty is to employ their
knowledge and their education in order to govern the country in a most sensible
and democratic way – at least idealiter.
Therefore the question
whether some issues should not be decided by referendum in my opinion should
definitely be answered “yes” since it takes more than emotional sensitivities
to control a nation’s fate.
* cf. Zadie Smith
(238 words)
by Anja
Reuer
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