«If the people think wrong, the people must be changed»

Le Regard Libre No. 19 - Nicolas Jutzet

The rejection of the EEA in 1992, the rejection of the European Constitution in 2005, the February 9, 2014, vote in Switzerland, and now Brexit. What do these votes have in common? The vast majority of the political class gets a slap in the face from a segment of the population that refuses to follow the advice of an elite that is too sure of itself. And often, far from showing wisdom by questioning itself even slightly, this elite subsequently digs itself into an even deeper hole by stigmatizing the verdict of the ballot box and calling into question the very understanding of the referendum itself. This self-proclaimed «enlightened» elite practices democracy only when the going is good. Unable to understand the message sent during the downpours, it creates storms.

The recent Brexit is a perfect example. In the days following the result, many journalists, writers, politicians, and sociologists