The body initiating a referendum obviously varies in line with the procedures provided for in domestic law.  In Switzerland, it is a percentage of the electorate, except in the case of mandatory referendums; only one referendum out of more than 500 has been at the request of the cantons.  In Italy, referendums have generally been initiated by the electorate, and only rarely by regional councils.  The two referendums held in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” following independence have been at the request of part of the electorate.  Two referendums have been held at the request of the electorate in Hungary and two on the initiative of the government.  The executive has initiated the referendums held in France, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Spain, Turkey and, jointly with parliament, Luxembourg and Malta.  In Finland and Norway, special acts of parliament were passed.  Parliament has also initiated referendums in Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania (with the exception of one case of a popular initiative), Sweden, Ireland (by adopting texts submitted to mandatory referendum), Portugal (one mandatory referendum, one parliamentary initiative).  In Denmark, referendums have always been organised at the request of the authorities, but on only one occasion (on four matters) was this a request by parliament; all other referendums have been initiated by the government wishing to gain acceptance for a bill that had failed to obtain a sufficient majority in parliament, or have been mandatory referendums.  In Latvia, one referendum has been initiated by parliament, and two following suspension of a law by the President, at the request of one tenth of the electorate.