@article { , title = {The Pharmakon of Democracy: General Will and the People in the Context of the Greek Referendum}, abstract = {© The Author(s) 2017. This article examines the role of the Greek referendum of 2015 in the context of the Greek socio-economic and political crisis. The analysis of the mediating role of referendum in the process of class struggle leads to a more general argument relating to fundamental concepts of public law, namely, ‘general will’ and the ‘people’. Central to the analysis is the question of whether referendums are a remedy for the problems facing the institutions of representative democracy. By analysing the process of the Greek referendum, with a focus on the formulation of the question and the interpretation of the verdict of the Greek people by the executive power, a more general argument is constructed regarding the mediating role of the referendum in a crisis and the legitimating role of such concepts in a class-divided society. In a context of rising inequality and furthering distantiation of the popular strata from decision-making processes, the referendum is shown, on the one hand, as a remedy for the failings of representative institutions on behalf of capital and necessary for the reproduction of capitalist relations. On the other hand, on the background of a discussion of the relation between democracy and capitalism, it is argued that the referendum acts as a different kind of poison for the people themselves and the struggle of the popular classes.}, doi = {10.1177/0964663917731615}, eissn = {1461-7390}, issn = {0964-6639}, issue = {6}, journal = {Social and Legal Studies}, pages = {755-775}, publicationstatus = {Published}, publisher = {SAGE Publications}, url = {https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/882810}, volume = {27}, keyword = {referendum, Greek Referendum, general will, people, Marxism, Pharmakon, Katechon}, year = {2018}, author = {Kivotidis, Dimitrios} }