Selected national referenda on European matters in 1972 ‒ 2012 as an example of a limit in extension of European integration

Abstract

The outcome of the British referendum of 23 June 2016 was a beginning of Brexit. The latter was finalized on 31 January 2020. Although, Brexit was a fundamental occurrence, was not the only one that had an impact on the configuration of the European Union. The aim of the article is to analyse the selected national referenda, that were conducted in 1972-2012 and had an important impact on the extension of the European integration. The article also shows to what extent decisions made by the citizens of particular states in ratification referenda contribute to changing the internal situation in these states and how a referendum in a specific country affects international relations.

Keywords

• european integration
• the european union
• the european union enlargement
• referendum