„Wir haben das Recht auf Leben mit einem einfachen Gesetzesvorbehalt“

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Ein Interview mit Dieter Grimm zur Änderungsbedürftigkeit des Verfassungsänderungsverfahrens, dem Grundgesetz als Herrgottswinkel der Republik, dem europäischen Spitzenkandidatenprozess und der Frage, warum Instrumente der direkten Demokratie bei Verfassungsänderungen ihre Berechtigung haben.

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Verfassungsänderung ausbremsen?


Wir feiern dieses Jahr 70 Jahre Grundgesetz. Aus diesem Anlass wurden jüngst allerlei Wünsche geäußert, wie die Verfassung zu ergänzen sei, etwa um Kinderrechte. Gleichzeitig wurden mahnende Stimmen laut, dass die Verfassungsänderung selbst änderungsbedürftig sei und erschwert werden müsse. Dies leuchtet auf den ersten Blick ein, schafft aber ganz eigene Schwierigkeiten, und reagiert zudem auf ein Problem, das sich ggf. von selbst erledigt.

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Volume 8, Issue 2

July 2019

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Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law

  • Reactive vs structural approach: A public law response to populism
    ANA MICAELA ALTERIO
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Pre-Modern Understandings of Rule-Making


Since his entering into office a year ago, Italy’s Minister of Interior Matteo Salvini has proved to be the true leader of the governmental coalition between the Five Star Movement and the Lega, run by Salvini himself. His populist approach looks far closer to that of Orbán than to the confused ideology of the Five Star Movement. Contrary to the latter, Salvini always gives the impression of knowing exactly what he wants. Being far more predictable than his allies, he has succeeded both in seizing control of Italy’s political agenda and in gaining a huge electoral consent, not least because he knows how to fuel the popular anxiety.

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Judges Depending on Judges


Since the beginning of 2018 the CJEU has finally been putting flesh on the bones of the EU principle of judicial independence. Most recently, the Court has been widely praised for its ruling against the Polish attempt of removing the, presumably, disloyal judges by a general measure of lowering their retirement age from 70 to 65. While the decision is indeed praiseworthy, it is nevertheless necessary to emphasize its notable doctrinal lacuna with potential negative practical implications – particularly in those EU member states with a weak democratic and rule of law tradition, a low degree of legal and political culture as well as with a small and tightly-knit legal elite.

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Empty Seats in the European Parliament: What About EU Citizenship?


The European Parliament started its new term with three empty seats. The Catalan politicians Carles Puigdemont, Antoni Comín and Oriol Junqueras got elected in the European Parliamentary elections of 26 May 2019 but the Spanish Central Electoral Commission did not include their names in the list which was notified to the European Parliament on 17 June 2019. The reason is that that they did not appear in person to swear or affirm allegiance to the Spanish Constitution, which is a formal requirement under the Spanish election legislation. The President of the EU General Court dismissed an application of Carles Puigdemont and Antoni Comín for interim measures by referring to the Spanish electoral law. Thereby, however, he completely ignored the EU citizenship dimension of the case.

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Demokratische Tragödie in Sachsen

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Vor wenigen Tagen hat der sächsische Landeswahlausschuss überraschend die Liste der AfD für die Landtagswahl am 1. September teilweise zurückgewiesen. Die nicht nachvollziehbare Entscheidung des Landeswahlausschusses bedient den Opfermythos der AfD und spielt denjenigen in dieser Partei in die Hände, die die demokratischen Institutionen ohnehin verachten.

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Unwissenheit schützt vor Spende nicht?


In der letzten Plenarwoche vor der parlamentarischen Sommerpause hat der Deutsche Bundestag erstmals über die sogenannte Widerspruchslösung im Organtransplantationsrecht beraten. Im Zentrum der Diskussion stehen bisher die Verfassungsmäßigkeit und die ethische Vertretbarkeit der Widerspruchslösung. Weniger Beachtung findet bislang hingegen ein Problem, das man als Überrumpelung bezeichnen könnte. Mögliche Verlierer einer Widerspruchslösung sind diejenigen, die von dem Systemwechsel nicht erfahren oder ihn nicht verstanden haben, sich mit ihm nicht befassen oder auf ihn nicht reagieren können. Hier besteht Nachbesserungsbedarf.

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Throwing the EU Off Balance


The battlefield after the European Council summits is still coated with dust, but damages to Central and Eastern Europe and more specifically the Polish and Hungarian government are already visible. There will be no representative of the new Member States (those that entered the EU in and after 2004) among the top jobs. This result is also the consequence of the Spitzenkandidaten model which works to the detriment of smaller Member States and parties and undermines the EU’s basic pillars.

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Overruling Roe v. Wade?


Following President Trump’s appointment of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh the question has arisen as to whether, in the coming years, the U.S. Supreme Court will overrule its seminal judgment in Roe v. Wade. Roe established a woman’s fundamental right to choose to have an abortion before the viability of the fetus. The question of Roe’s destiny appears more pressing today than ever before because reversing the case has formed part of President Trump’s successful political platform.

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Has the Spitzenkandidaten System Failed and Should We Care?


The nomination of Germany’s Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen is both a beginning and an end. It begins a new chapter for the European Commission with its first woman president. But also appears to mark the end of the Spitzenkandidaten approach to the selection of European Commission presidents. Indeed, all of the ‘lead candidates’ of the European political groupings were left empty-handed. If this is to be the demise of Spitzenkandidaten, will its passing be mourned?

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