15% support to trigger a referendum

Laws passed by the Icelandic parliament could be put to referendum if 15% of the Icelandic electorate say so, according to a proposed new clause to be added to the country’s constitution.

In a meeting yesterday, Iceland’s official committee on constitutional change agreed upon the new clause, which would enable any legislation passed by Iceland’s 63-member legislative assembly, Alþingi, to be put to referendum if sufficient numbers demand it.

The new threshold would be 15% of the electorate. Based on the size of the electorate at the last general elections (2013), this works out at around 36,000 people.

The committee was set up by current Icelandic PM Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson back in 2013 and is made up of MPs from all Alþingi parties.