Today in Northrhein-Westfalia, Germany, a new campaign to protect the global climate was launched by an coalition of organisations (NGO), trade unions, churches and pro-environment groups (Klima Allianz).

A spokesperson for the coalition said in an interview that a referendum campaign would have been their first choice. Instead they have chosen to start a petition to the regional government (Landtag). Reason for this strategy is that it is almost impossible to trigger a referendum in Northrhein-Westfalia (NRW), the most populous of German federal states (Lands). A Referendum Demand in NRW must be endorsed by more than a million citizens within eight weeks. The Referendum Demand may by law only be signed in government offices and not, with collection by proposing groups, in public spaces.

The rules for having a referendum are much better, more "user-friendly", in some other German Lands. In recent years a number of referenda have been triggered, for instance in Bavaria, and in the city-states of Hamburg and Berlin.

In post-war Germany and especially since re-unification of East and West in 1990 a strong movement for citizen-led, direct democracy has been created. Its main aims are to introduce or improve citizen-law making at all levels of government from the "communities" (villages, districts, towns) to the federal states (Lands) and central government.

In stark contrast to the United Kingdom and its countries, in Germany a broad alliance of NGOs, social, environmental, political party, trade union and religious groups support and endorse the movement for "More" Democracy.

Sources: Mehr Demokratie e.V., iniref.org

Campaign for direct democracy in Britain
 http://www.iniref.org/ Election strategy
 http://www.iniref.org/index.enter.html