SVT has gone through all the referendums that have been reported to the Election Authority and been added on popular initiatives in the last ten years.
Out of 30 referendums, politicians followed the election result on only nine occasions.
- If the voters have won the referendum, they expect politicians to follow the election result, but most often it will not be so, says David Karlsson.
Among the forced referendums that have been conducted in the last ten years, SVT finds only two cases where the popular initiative's side lost.
One about dividing Botkyrka municipality and one regarding a new construction of an event hall in Bromölla.
Both were completed in 2014.
"Can lead to division"
There are various reasons why municipal politicians run over the election results in referendums that have taken place on popular initiatives.
The vote may, for example, concern a process that is already under way, which makes it more difficult for politicians to follow the results.
In other cases, the referendum has concerned an issue that is basically not municipal, or politicians simply do not want to change the decision.
- It can lead to great division in the municipality that lasts for years and it also leads to a lack of confidence in democracy.
It was not what those who worked for the team were looking for, but this has been the result, says David Karlsson.