A Mandate for Reform Is Not a Blank Cheque

This article argues that the February 2026 referendum conferred a democratic mandate for constitutional reform but not unlimited authority for institutional redesign. Critiquing claims that the referendum authorised a Constitution Reform Assembly through constituent power, it distinguishes political rupture from constitutional refounding and argues that democratic mandates must be interpreted according to the procedures, wording, and institutional framework through which they arise. Constitutional reform gains enduring legitimacy only when implementation remains faithful to the scope of the authority explicitly authorised by the electorate.