Hopes and Hurdles: Analysing the dynamics of citizens' initiatives in Europe (1990-2020)

This paper provides a comprehensive mapping of citizen initiatives across the European landscape, focusing on the 46 Council of Europe member states from 1990 to 2020. It addresses a notable gap in existing literature and databases concerning the analysis of bottom-up direct democracy, especially agenda initiatives. Drawing on a newly assembled database, the paper explores patterns in the frequency, admissibility, signature collection processes, and overall success rates of different types of citizen initiatives. Key findings include a significantly greater volume of citizen-initiated direct democracy than previously documented and an upward trend in the number of initiatives, with the agenda initiative emerging as a significant driver. Nonetheless, the empirical analysis reveals that citizens initiatives are afflicted by high levels of attrition and, on the whole, low levels of approval rates. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolving role of citizen-initiated direct democracy in contemporary Europe.