Comparing Voting in National Referendums on EU Issues

Abstract

Following the unwritten rules of EU-related referendums, parties in government at the time of the referendum advocated the pro-EU option in the Netherlands and in Britain. However, even though the British Conservatives, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, campaigned for the Remain option, there were some strong voices in the party that wanted the country to leave the European Union, most notably Boris Johnson. There were some unique, context-specific developments in other cases as well. In Greece, it was the scope and depth of the economic crisis along with the broader implications for the EU economy and the Eurozone. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, the whole nature of the referendum offered a unique context as there were various groups pushing for higher turnouts and campaigning on one side or the other, while the citizens were mainly uninterested.