Brexit proves that some issues should not be decided by a referendum

The British decided by a narrow majority. But in the end the decision was clear: Brexit comes. This not only raises the question of whether how the relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU is to be constructed in the future, but also of how to reasonable use political instruments such as a referendum. Should there have been made a referendum on such a complex issue like the Brexit? It seems like slogans, threats and lies of the populists have influenced the decision of the British population.

The vote on the Brexit clearly shows that the decision of the people deviated strongly from the positions of the representatives. 51,9 % of the population voted for the Brexit. In the House of Commons only 30 % of the representatives voted for it. This difference is remarkable. It demonstrates that a more rational approach can lead to other results.

It is difficult to inform about complex themes. That is why populists have an advantage in a referendum. A person who wants to explain why the EU was built, namely because of avoiding war due to economic, social, cultural and political interdependencies, needs more words and can less play with emotions. However, populists use slogans and imperatives like “Britain first” or “Stop refugees”. They do not need many words, but populists play with the emotions and even more with the fear people have. That strongly influences political decision. We can sadly observe this phenomenon worldwide at the moment.

In my opinion, this has nothing to do with politics any more. People rather trust slogans and even worse lies because they are easier to understand than that they look into a theme more carefully and try to form their own opinion. That is why a complex issues such as the Brexit should not be decided by a referendum.