Citizens' initiative referendum (France)

The Citizens' initiative referendum, or Référendum d'initiative partagée (RIP) in French, is a mechanism in the French constitution allowing citizens, with the support of parliamentarians, to trigger a referendum on a proposed law. It was introduced as part of constitutional reforms in 2008 and became fully operational in 2015.

The process for initiating a RIP is as follows:

1. Proposal Submission: A proposal for a law must be supported by at least one-fifth of the members of Parliament (both the National Assembly and the Senate), which equates to 185 members.

2. Constitutional Council Review: The Constitutional Council (Conseil constitutionnel) reviews the proposal to ensure it complies with the Constitution and that it addresses a suitable subject for a referendum. Subjects excluded from the RIP include budgetary matters, treaties, and laws passed less than a year prior.

3. Citizen Support Collection: If the Constitutional Council approves the proposal, a period begins during which the proposal must gather the support of at least one-tenth of registered voters (approximately 4.7 million signatures). This support must be collected within a designated timeframe, typically several months.

4. Parliamentary Consideration: If the required number of signatures is collected and validated, the proposal is then referred to Parliament. Parliament then has a set period of time to consider the proposal.

5. Referendum: If Parliament does not adopt the proposal in identical terms within the allocated time, a referendum is then held, allowing all eligible voters to decide on the proposed law.

The Citizens' initiative referendum is intended to increase citizen participation in the legislative process and provide a mechanism for citizens to directly influence policy. However, the stringent requirements for initiating a referendum mean that it is a difficult process to successfully complete.