Foreign policy aspects of referendum processes in the Baltic states

Abstract

The author considers the foreign policy aspects of referendum processes in the Baltic States, analyzes the experience gained in using the referendum institute in recent decades. The author points out the differences in experience in individual countries: from minimal use in Estonia, moderate use in Latvia — to a wide involvement of the population in decision-making, including foreign policy, in Lithuania. This fact is explained by the geopolitical influence of the states with which there were historically formed close relations as a result of being their part: Sweden, the Russian Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, respectively, and their form of government, the political culture of the population.

The author argues that those referendums were successful, which somehow related to foreign policy issues: on the restoration and realization of the sovereignty of the state and people; citizenship (Estonia, Latvia); European integration; on the demand for compensation from Russia for environmental damage inflicted to Lithuania by the USSR troops during 1940–1991; energy security and sovereignty (Lithuania). At the same time, the question of the status of the Russian language, although it was repeatedly initiated in Latvia by pro-Russian political forces, did not come up with a positive solution.

The author believes that the referendums for the restoration of sovereignty were extremely important for the legal basis of sovereignty, since they demonstrated the world’s aspirations of the inhabitants for the independence of their states and created the basis for their international recognition, which enabled the Baltic States to start implementation of Euro-Atlantic and, above all, European integration plans. According to the author, the high results of popular voting, along with observance of international standards during referendums and changes to the regulatory framework in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, have become an important factor in foreign policy legitimacy of the European integration policy of the Baltic States.

The experience of referendums in the Baltic States concerning normative provision, fixing time of their holding, organization, information provision and, most importantly, taking into account the alignment of political actors’ forces in the international arena as a factor of foreign policy legitimacy of the decisions put forward at the referendum, is important for Ukraine, in the context of the restoration of sovereignty in the annexed Russian territories.