Alain Wagner to the OSCE: We Need Referenda to Restore Popular Sovereignty

2018 Human Dimension Implementation Meeting
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Monday, 17 September 2018

Working Session 10
Fundamental Freedoms I, Including Freedom of Expression

Intervention read by Alain Wagner, representing International Civil Liberties Alliance (ICLA)

Note: The intervention is in French, with a simultaneous voice-over translation.

Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for uploading this video:

For links to previous articles about the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, see the OSCE Archives.

2 thoughts on “Alain Wagner to the OSCE: We Need Referenda to Restore Popular Sovereignty

  1. Popular sovereignty is exactly what the Lefties can’t ever allow to happen. They will only make use of basic laws and constitutional rights selectively when it suits their purpose. Otherwise our laws and constitutions aren’t worth the paper they’re written on to them. We are in a war and their advantage is that they already understood that from the very beginning.

  2. A series of referenda involving the whole population to decide on laws and the carrying out of its provisions is a hideously impractical, unworkable and an unrealistic way of doing anything.

    Many millions of people cannot have a debate about anything, whereas a number of small groups can.

    A jury system of five men and five women chosen at by lot for every electorate would be workable.

    There would need to be some practical rules. Nothing idiotic like thousand-page pieces of legislation, for example. A word limit of 5,000-10,000 words might be manageable.

    There are many other things that a standing guardian jury limited to one-month terms and elected from each jury might be responsible for. Sanctions against civil servants and politicians who abuse their power or shirk their obligations come to mind.

    There should also be provisions to ensure that politicians can never succeed in the abolition of a jury system, or even corrupting it beyond recognition, as has happened in almost every country that once had properly functioning juries.

Comments are closed.