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CITIZEN INITIATED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

CHART



Legal Memoranda





April 2013
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Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this memorandum is to identify which, if any, European Union member states, or future
member states, have constitutional provisions that permit citizens or civic groups to initiate constitutional
amendments.

STATE DIRECT DEMOCRACY
(Constitutional Reforms)
CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION
1. Austria No
2. Belgium No
3. Bulgaria No
4. Cyprus No
5. Czech Republic No
6. Denmark No
7. Estonia No
8. Finland No
9. France No
10. Germany No
11. Greece No
12. Hungary No
13. Ireland No
14. Italy No
15. Latvia No
16. Lithuania Yes Art. 147 allows a motion to supplement the Constitution to be submitted
to the Seimas by voters. However, the minimum number of voters
required for a submission is 300,000.
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There are 141 members of the Seimas, who are state representatives,
elected to 4-year terms.
17. Luxembourg No
18. Malta No

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LITHUANIA CONST. art. 147 (1992), available at http://legislationline.org/documents/section/constitutions.
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19. Netherlands No
20. Poland No
21. Portugal No
22. Romania Yes Art. 150 permits citizens to initiate the revision of the constitution if the
proposal is initiated by at least 500,000 citizens with the right to vote.
The Constitution further stipulates that these citizens must belong to at
least half the number of the counties in the country, and requires that
20,000 signatures be garnered from each of the respective counties.
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23. Slovakia No
24. Slovenia Yes Art. 168 permits a proposal to initiate the procedure for amending the
constitution if the proposal is submitted by at least 30,000 voters.
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25. Spain No
26. Sweden No
27. United Kingdom No
28. Croatia (Acceding
Country)
No
29. Turkey
(EU Candidate)
No
30. Iceland
(EU Candidate)
No
31. Montenegro
(EU Candidate)
No
32. Serbia
(EU Candidate)
Yes Art. 203 permits 150,000 voters to collectively submit a proposal to
amend the constitution.
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33. The former
Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia
(EU Candidate)
Yes Art. 130 permits 130,000 citizens to submit a proposal to initiate a
change in the constitution.
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ROMANIA CONST. art. 150 (1991), available at http://legislationline.org/documents/section/constitutions.
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SLOVENIA CONST. art. 168 (1991), available at http://legislationline.org/documents/section/constitutions.
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SERBIA CONST. art. 203 (2006), available at http://www.srbija.gov.rs/cinjenice_o_srbiji/ustav_odredbe.php?id=227.
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MACEDONIA CONST. art. 130 (1991), available at http://legislationline.org/documents/section/constitutions
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34. Switzerland
(non-EU member)
Yes Art. 193 provides that the public may propose a total revision of the
constitution, which would be approved through a public referendum.
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Art. 194 provides that the public may also request a partial revision of
the constitution.
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A proposal to completely overhaul or partially revise
the constitution requires 100,000 eligible voters to propose the initiative
for public referendum.
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SWITZERLAND CONST. art. 193 (1999), available at http://legislationline.org/documents/section/constitutions.
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SWITZERLAND CONST. art. 194 (1999), available at http://legislationline.org/documents/section/constitutions.
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SWITZERLAND CONST. arts. 138, 139 (1999), available at http://legislationline.org/documents/section/constitutions.