Does Brexit prove that some issues should not be discussed by referendum?

On 23 June 2016, 51.89% of the British people voted in favour of leaving the European Union. Originally, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron had planned for the referendum to stabilize his and his party’s position, responding to increasing Euroskeptic tendencies in Britain. The nationalist party UKIP had managed to attract disaffected citizens and began to pose a real threat to long-established centrist parties. Cameron tried to win back lost votes by giving the citizens the chance to decide on a controversial, heated issue, apparently without considering the possible consequences.  The outcome of the referendum seems to be an almost ironical turn of events, but more importantly, it has revealed some crucial facts about the referendum as a device of government.

During the campaign that preceded the election day it became obvious that it was not solely about Britain leaving the EU. Instead of fulfilling the democratic duty that was placed on them, the people rather used the opportunity to express their general disaffection with British policies, while politicians, especially right-wing populists, fueled the debate. However, the media probably had the most significant impact on events. Clearly driven by a constant hunger for sensation, British broadcasters did not hesitate to give loud populists the chance to appear on various shows, thus allowing them to continuously spread their opinions. In this atmosphere of hate, fear and hysteria, the British citizen was supposed to make a decision that had an enormous effect on both economy and society.

It is appropriate to say that Brexit serves as a perfect example of why it is not advisable to let some issues be discussed by referendum. Due to the influence of media, it is inevitable that people will be caught up in a propaganda battle. Eventually, this will lead to a country even more divided and unstable than before. Apart from that, the complex decision on whether or not to leave the EU requires a substantial knowledge of economics, trade and foreign policies that most people do not possess. Therefore, we, the citizens, elect politicians: They are entrusted with the task to acquire that knowledge in order to decide on a certain topic. It is unlikely that these decisions please every single person. Nevertheless, I believe that in this way democracy and peace are served best.