07 January 2020
Once Again, a Laboratory for What Is to Come
The 1980 Constitution of Chile contained different “locks” that have entrenched some of the core social, political, legal and economic arrangements inherited from the dictatorship. While some parts of the original constitution (those most obviously connected to the authoritarian regime) have been changed in the years following its enactment, almost all the “locks” remain in place. The issue with the legitimacy of the Chilean constitution is twofold: its legitimacy is questionable both in terms of its pedigree and in terms of its capacity to keep open the space for political action. Continue reading >>
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06 January 2020
Nach dem Sicherheitspaket ist vor dem Sicherheitspaket
Der österreichische Verfassungsgerichtshof hat am 11.12.2019 die Aufhebung unterschiedlicher Maßnahmen des sogenannten Sicherheitspakets der vergangenen ÖVP-FPÖ Regierung verkündet. Obwohl im Lichte der vorweihnachtlichen VfGH-Erkenntnisse fraglich ist, inwiefern die österreichische Verfassungsrechtslage überhaupt Raum für entsprechende Maßnahmen belässt, scheint die neue türkis-grüne Regierung nun eine Neuauflage der einkassierten Regelungen zu planen. Dies wirft die Frage auf, inwiefern die Koalitionspartner eine verfassungswidrige Regelung zumindest in Kauf nehmen und darauf hoffen, dass der Gerichtshof es am Ende schon wieder richten wird. Continue reading >>
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When Violations of International and EU Law Overlap
On 11 December 2019, Advocate General Pikamäe issued his Opinion rejecting jurisdiction of the ECJ in an infringement procedure between Slovenia and Croatia (C-457/18). The case raises the question whether the ECJ may engage with asserted violations of EU law which result from Croatia’s non-recognition of the final and binding Arbitral Award determining the border dispute between both Members. The opinion of the Advocate General appears to be fuelled by political rather than legal considerations and the ECJ should not follow it in order to make clear that the EU is able to protect its autonomous legal system and that it stands on its foundational and common legal principles. Continue reading >>05 January 2020
Die Tötung von Qassem Soleimani
Die Tötung des hochrangigen iranischen Generals Qassem Soleimani hält die Welt in Atem. Die völkerrechtliche Rechtslage ist einerseits nicht sonderlich komplex, wobei der Fall andererseits dazu angetan ist, Zweifel ob der Leistungsfähigkeit der völkerrechtlichen Regeln weiter zu befeuern und sich Sorgen über die Entwicklung des Völkerrechts zu machen. Vor allem aber unterstreicht er die Besonderheiten des US-amerikanischen Verfassungsrechts, welches mit seiner starken Fokussierung auf die Entscheidungsbefugnis einer einzelnen Person, des US-Präsidenten, kaum in der Lage ist, wirksame „checks and balances“ für den tödlichen Einsatz bewaffneter Gewalt im Ausland zu setzen. Continue reading >>01 January 2020
Warum Kinderrechte ins Grundgesetz gehören
Ende November hat Bundesjustizministerin Christine Lambrecht (SPD) vorgeschlagen, das Grundgesetz zu ändern und darin ausdrücklich Kinderrechte zu verankern. Der Vorschlag befindet sich derzeit in der Ressortabstimmung. Auf dem Verfassungsblog hat sich Friederike Wapler kritisch mit diesem Entwurf auseinandergesetzt und am Ende empfohlen, statt einer schlechten Grundgesetzänderung lieber gar keine zu verabschieden. Ich hingegen halte eine solche Grundgesetzänderung für ebenso sinnvoll wie möglich. Continue reading >>31 December 2019
The Supranational Rule of Law: Thinking the Future
Writing at the end of 2019 it must be clear that art. 7 TEU is not a viable political option at all. However, the Treaties do contain legal mechanisms to enforce the rule of law against the member states. Art. 7 is not, and must not, be the center of the rule of law world in the EU. Poland’s refusal to obey the Court’s judgments and its readiness to do everything possible to circumvent it strike at the very heart of the EU rule of law. The challenge is to use what is legally available rather than keep finding excuses for not using the mechanisms already in place. Continue reading >>
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28 December 2019
An Internal Safety Net for the Council of Europe?
By January 2020, a new complementary joint procedure shall be in place to respond to serious violations by a member state of its statutory obligations. However, several open questions remain. Continue reading >>
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27 December 2019
The Supranational Rule of Law: Taking Stock
While a transnational conception of the rule of law requires the engagement of and commitment to the EU project from all actors involved, this begs the question as to what happens when the assumptions underlying art. 2 TEU are no longer applicable? For the rule of law, 2019 has been of fundamental importance because we have been taught important constitutional lessons and started getting answers to some of the most crucial constitutional questions. While much still remains shrouded in mystery and question marks are aplenty, at least the judicial trajectory for the rule of law in 2020 has been set in 2019. Continue reading >>
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25 December 2019
A Matter of Representative Democracy in the European Union
With its judgment in the Junqueras case, the Court adopted a functional approach to the election procedure of the European Parliament, proceeding from the principle of representative democracy as one of the core values in the EU legal order. In particular, the Court stressed the need to ensure that the composition of the European Parliament fully reflects the free choice of the Union’s citizens, by direct universal suffrage. Continue reading >>24 December 2019
Gesicherte Unsicherheit
Mit größter (An-)Spannung waren die am 19.12.2019 veröffentlichten Schlussanträge des Generalanwalts Henrik Saugmandsgaard Øe in der Rechtssache Schrems II erwartet worden (RS. C-311/18). Stehen doch in diesem Verfahren zwei tragende Säulen des internationalen bzw. transatlantischen Datenverkehrs zur Disposition: die Standarddatenschutzklauseln und der EU-US Privacy Shield. Eine erste Analyse der Schlussanträge legt gleichwohl nahe, dass auch zukünftig nur eines sicher ist: grenzüberschreitende Informationsübermittlungen bergen zahlreiche Unsicherheiten für die Betroffenen sowie die datenverarbeitenden Unternehmen. Continue reading >>
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23 December 2019
Mut zum Verbot
Bund und Länder haben sich auf ein Klimapaket geeinigt, und es ist ein Anreizpaket. Wenn man davon absieht, dass es in ein paar Jahren verboten sein wird, ganz bestimmte Heizungstypen neu einzubauen, soll das Ziel, CO2-Emissionen massiv zu reduzieren, soweit ersichtlich, ohne Verbote erreicht werden. Dabei sind Verbote unter Umständen nicht nur wirksamer als Anreize und andere „weiche“ Instrumente. Sie können auch gerechter sein und eine höhere Akzeptanz der Klimapolitik versprechen. Zu einem klugen Instrumentenmix würden sie daher dazugehören. Continue reading >>Worüber man nichts sagen kann, darüber soll man schweigen
Kurz vor Weihnachten hat das Landesverfassungsgericht Mecklenburg-Vorpommern eine Entscheidung gefällt, die zum Widerspruch herausfordert, ja zur demokratischen Pflicht macht. Das Urteil vom 19. Dezember 2019 zeigt in exemplarischer Weise, wie wichtig gerade in diesen Tagen die Aufgabe der Justiz ist, einer Erosion von demokratischen Grundprinzipien entgegenzutreten. Es ist schmerzhaft, wenn sie diese Aufgabe so spektakulär verfehlt, wie in diesem Falle. Continue reading >>Doch wieder eine Stichwahl in NRW!
Der Verfassungsgerichtshof des Landes NRW hat am vergangenen Freitag die Abschaffung der kommunalen Stichwahl rückgängig gemacht und damit die Erfolgsbedingungen für die Bürgermeister- und Landratswahlen im kommenden Jahr verändert. Mit demselben Urteil hat er eine Regelung über die Einteilung der Wahlbezirke überraschenderweise nur in einer „verfassungskonformen Auslegung“ aufrechterhalten – mit der Folge, dass jede Kommune ihre Einteilung nun überprüfen und nötigenfalls ändern muss. Continue reading >>22 December 2019
Discipline and Punish
The Polish rule of law saga took yet another turn for the worse. The Parliament is working on a bill to prevent judicial review of the previous judicial reforms as well as to neutralize the effects of adverse CJEU judgments. The bill is blatantly unconstitutional but without a functioning Constitutional Court it does not matter much. It is also contrary to EU law. Continue reading >>
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21 December 2019
Urgenda III: Die Niederlande als Modell richterlichen Klimaschutzes
Mit dem Klima-Urteil des Hohen Rats ist die niederländische Gerichtsbarkeit endgültig zum weltweit bestaunten und umjubelten Vorbild einer Bewegung geworden, die unter dem Schlagwort der „Climate Justice“ bemüht ist, die dritte Gewalt für die Durchsetzung einer entschiedeneren Klimaschutzpolitik zu aktivieren. Im Kern der rechtlichen Auseinandersetzung geht es um die Frage nach der Entscheidungsmacht der Gerichte in der gewaltenteiligen Demokratie. Dürfen oder müssen Richter für sich in Anspruch nehmen, zwingende Vorgaben für den Klimaschutz zu entwickeln? Continue reading >>
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Why Scotland’s Journey to Independence Needs to Include another Stop in Westminster
Much as some of its members might wish it otherwise, the Scottish Parliament is a parliament of limited legislative competence, and it is not unlikely that not having the power to legislate for an independence referendum is among those limits. Continue reading >>20 December 2019
Citizenship by Religion
India is presently witnessing a country-wide mass uprising against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which purposefully aims to grant migrants belonging to six enlisted communities an easy path to Indian citizenship, while denying the same to others – notably Muslims. This Act is unconstitutional as it exploits deliberate omissions on citizenship rules in the constitution while it ignores the constitutional design which is fundamentally based on equality and secularism. Continue reading >>
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Avoiding the next Brexit Cliff-Edge
Boris Johnson wants to legally exclude the prolongation of the extension period of the Withdrawal Agreement. The way to prolong it nevertheless would be an amendment of the Withdrawal Agreement itself. Some argue now that any other way to change the transition period than its prolongation by the JC is legally impossible. Another reading of the legal situation is, however, supportable. Continue reading >>19 December 2019
Back to the Future?
Although the UK has appeared to move from one constitutional crisis to the next during this year, there has been a clear direction of travel: 2019 saw both the legislature and the courts strengthening their checks over the executive. The Conservative Party Manifesto may be interpreted as an attempt to reverse this direction of travel and reinstate the executive at the centre of the Constitution. Continue reading >>
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18 December 2019
Brexit and the CJEU: why the Opinion of the Court Should be Sought as a Matter of Emergency
With the comfortable majority he managed to secure in the Commons, Boris Johnson is now very likely to be able to push through the British Parliament the withdrawal agreement he negotiated with the European Union back in October. Provided that the European Parliament greenlights it quickly enough, it may well come into force by 31 January 2020, deadline of the last extension decision agreed between the EU-27 and the UK. However, one actor of the process seems to have been forgotten: the Court of Justice of the European Union. This could end up being a huge mistake. Continue reading >>Between Euphoria and a Stony Path Ahead
In the referendum held in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville more than 98% of the people voted in favour of independent statehood. This referendum has been in the making for almost 20 years but now Papua New Guinea and Bougainville face a complex post-referendum process that is fraught with many uncertainties. Continue reading >>
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17 December 2019
Democratic (Dis)Armament
On 3 September 2019, the Slovak Supreme Court ruled against an MP of the far-right political party Kotleba – People’s Party Our Slovakia. Due to the conviction, Mr Mazurek lost his seat and another candidate of the PPOS took his place. Depending on the factors considered, the case can be seen either as armament or as disarmament of democracy in Slovakia. Continue reading >>
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Shying Away from Strasbourg
Last week, the Italian Constitutional Court published its reasoning on a judgment regarding the so-called ergastolo ostativo (life sentence without parole). The challenged provision excludes persons convicted of serious crimes – primarily mafia-type – from a series of benefits (for example, permits and conditional release) in the event that they do not want to collaborate with the authorities. Italy’s Constitutional Court now held that this provision is not in line with the constitution but missed a chance to give full effect to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. Continue reading >>
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Gemeinsames und Trennendes von Taxifahrer und Rechtsanwalt
Die hessischen Strafverfolgungsbehörden führen unter anderem ein Ermittlungsverfahren wegen des Verdachts der Beihilfe zur Steuerhinterziehung gegen zwei Rechtsanwälte, die steuerrechtliche Gutachten zur Zulässigkeit von Cum-ex-Geschäften verfasst hatten. Einer von ihnen sitzt seit Ende November in Untersuchungshaft, was große Aufmerksamkeit hervorgerufen hat. Das Vorgehen der Justiz in diesem Fall scheint von Aktionismus getrieben zu sein, aber dennoch offenbaren die Anschuldigungen gegen die Rechtsberater systematische Fehlentwicklungen in Teilen des Anwaltsberufs. Continue reading >>16 December 2019
Liberalismus: Eine Grußkarte aus dem Roten Wien
Jan-Werner Müllers neues Buch plädiert für "einen anderen Liberalismus" – den Liberalismus der Furcht. Der verwandelt sich unter der Hand in einen Liberalismus der Inklusion. Das Programm ist menschenfreundlich und wegen des offenen Ausgangs des Zuhörens auch unverbindlich. Dagegen kann man doch keine Einwände haben. Oder doch? Continue reading >>15 December 2019
Gerichtshof ohne Beschwerdeführer
Die Unterstützung für den Afrikanischen Gerichtshof der Menschenrechte und Rechte der Völker schwindet. Am 14. November 2019 hat der Außenminister von Tansania eine Erklärung unterzeichnet, die den Staatsangehörigen des Landes den Zugang zum Individualbeschwerdeverfahren vor dem Gerichtshof versperrt. Nach dem Rückzug Tansanias verbleiben gerade einmal acht von 55 Staaten der Afrikanischen Union, die das Individualbeschwerderecht anerkennen. Continue reading >>14 December 2019
The Failure of the Left to Grasp Brexit
Thursday’s General Election was a bad day for the Labour Party, it spelled the end of Remainism and signalled a historic defeat for the Left. There needs to be serious reflection on all of this because the repercussions are severe and wide-ranging, and broader lessons must be learned, not just for the UK but elsewhere. It turned out, contrary to much expert assessment, that the 2016 referendum was, in fact, binding. The Left failed to grasp this and the underlying disconnect it signified. Continue reading >>13 December 2019
Constitution Before Administration
On 5 December 2019, Italy’s Constitutional Court nullified regional legislation which made it extremely difficult for religious minority groups to set up places of worship. The provisions in question vested the administrative authorities with nearly unfettered discretion in deciding on the approval of applications. The Constitutional Court has now made clear that the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion cannot be circumvented by administrative procedures. Continue reading >>
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Toward a Glorious Revolution
In the closing article, Gábor Attila Tóth offers a twofold argument. First, despite all its shortcomings, the 1989 coordinated regime change is a unique success story in the region. It resulted in revolutionary changes in the constitutional system. Second, there is a need again for a peaceful, revolutionary establishment of legitimate government, but without a revolution as such. Continue reading >>
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12 December 2019
Burning the Last Bridge to Europe
The Polish legal system is infected by a virulent pathogen, viz. the neoKRS, which spreads its spores with each judicial appointment. The only deduction to be drawn from the recent CJEU verdict and the subsequent ruling of the Polish Supreme Court is that the neoKRS is an illegally constituted body that illegally appoints judges who deliver invalid judgments. The more illegally appointed judges, the greater the number of invalid judgments. Any government that valued the integrity of the nation’s legal system would set about healing such a sick system without delay. Continue reading >>
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Giving a Toss about the Social Media Cut and Thrust
Die aktuelle Wahl in Großbritannien wird schon jetzt als “fake news and disinformation general election” beschrieben. Wie auch immer die heutige Wahl ausgeht, klar ist, dass auch politische Parteien sich während des Wahlkampfs vor allem in sozialen Netzwerken äußerst fragwürdiger Methoden bedient haben. Ein Blick in die deutsche Rechtsordnung zeigt, dass eindeutig täuschendes Verhalten politischer Akteure nicht mit der Verfassung vereinbar wäre. Darüber hinaus besteht jedoch ein Flickenteppich gesetzlicher Regelungen, der Wahlwerbungen politischer Parteien in sozialen Netzwerken keine ausreichenden Grenzen setzt. Continue reading >>
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History with a Future? The Relevance of the 1989 Round Table Experience for Today
The experience of the Central European round tables has no specific relevance today, but it may be significant in the future. Not in a direct way of copying them and it would be unwise to frame any future political consultation as a being inspired by the 1989 round tables. Yet, if we look at the round tables’ essence, negotiating a peaceful transition with an outgoing power, charting a course between legality and legitimacy, the round tables can tell us something of remaining relevance. Continue reading >>
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11 December 2019
Silencing the Opposition in Hungary
On 10 December, the Hungarian opposition MPs got a lovely present from the governing majority for Christmas wrapped in a big legislative package amending both the Act on Parliament and the Rules of Procedure. The amendments to the parliamentary regulation serve the purpose of silencing the opposition parties which have been constantly gaining strength in the last few months. Continue reading >>Open Letter to the President of the European Commission
Ever since the European Commission initiated a third infringement procedure in respect to the recurrent attacks on the rule of law by Polish authorities last April, the situation has continued to seriously deteriorate. It is now upon the Commission to promptly submit to the European Court of Justice an application for interim measures in the infringement case C-791/19 Commission v Poland now pending before the Court of Justice. Continue reading >>Causes and Consequences of the “Failure” of the GDR Central Round Table (Dec. 1989- Feb. 1990)
On one hand, I wish to give credit to the Central Round Table which is often seen as not having fulfilled its aspirations. Given the particular structural context in which the round table was operating, it was remarkably successful and achieved more than could have been anticipated given its weak legitimacy and power base, in particular, providing a sense of stability and moral guidance in tumultuous times. On the other hand, my thesis is that it was unable to exert a major influence on what was to follow, neither in the short-term or long-term. Continue reading >>
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Die Zwei Körper der Bürgermeisterin
Die Bürgermeisterin von Eisenach, Katja Wolf, verweigert den Stadträten der NPD den Handschlag – die gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Zeremonie zur Amtseinführung. Aber darf der Staat die Grundrechtsträgerin Katja Wolf überhaupt zu einem solchen Einsatz des eigenen Körpers zwingen? Continue reading >>Round Tables in Czechoslovakia and the Future of Post-Sovereign Politics of Constitutional Change
Petra Gümplová on the Round Table in Czechoslovakia and the potential of round tables as political tools to address current challenges in the Czech Republic and on a global scale. Continue reading >>
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Turkey’s Disregard for the Freedom of Movement
Through Emergency Decree Laws and Law no. 7188, the Turkish government has severely restricted the freedom of movement of hundreds of thousands of citizens by cancelling their passports or refusing to issue a new one. These laws and the corresponding practice not only violate the Turkish constitution but also contravene Turkey’s human rights obligations under regional and international law. Continue reading >>
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10 December 2019
Anachronisms by Law
In an ongoing effort to combat online hate speech, the German Minister of Justice recently announced to examine the re-introduction of section 88a of the German Penal Code. This law sanctioned the ‘anti-constitutional endorsement of crime’ and was only in force during a brief period between 1976 and 1981. It was supposed to counteract the spread of aggressive opinions and calls for violence. While politicians today are struggling with the issue of harmful online speech, one should refrain from re-introducing a law that was not only controversial back then but also ineffective. Apart from that, resurrecting the law in today’s digital world raises numerous questions. Continue reading >>
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Should Round Table Negotiations Serve as a Strategic Device in Poland’s Politics Today?
Karolina Wigura discusses the idea of future round table talks in Poland between the populists and the other political powers, aiming at achieving a broader consensus to repair the judiciary and other state institutions. Continue reading >>09 December 2019
The Round Tables: Then, Now and in a Possible Future. Ten Theses
What should be the modality of transformation? The lessons of 1989 transcending the reform-revolution dichotomy could become extremely relevant. Continue reading >>
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Exekutiver Freestyle im Mittelmeer
„Wir brauchen den Schutz der Verfassung, weil damit Menschenrechte, Freiheit und Demokratie gesichert werden“, heißt es auf der Webseite des Bundesamtes für Verfassungsschutz. Die Praxis der pre-screenings von Schutzsuchenden auf Malta und in Italien wird diesem Anspruch kaum gerecht. Kompetenzrechtlich steht sie auf wackligen Füßen. Es entsteht der Eindruck, dass es sich hier um einen exekutiven Freestyle handelt, um in Abwesenheit einer europäischen Regelung migrationspolitische Zielsetzungen zu fördern. Ob sie rechtsstaatlichen Ansprüchen genügt, kann man ernsthaft bezweifeln. Continue reading >>Round Table: An Adept Device for Constitutional Politics
The year 1989 entered history books as the year of the peaceful dismantling of Soviet-type regimes in East-Central Europe. These regimes did not collapse because of classical revolutions; the process ultimately involved round table negotiations between delegates of the undemocratic powerholders and the democratic opposition. Today the people in the Visegrád countries are divided in their opinions regarding the round tables, not least because of the widespread questioning of its achievements. Continue reading >>
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08 December 2019
The European Parliament Sidelined
When the Council adopted the first set of procedural rules governing Article 7(1) TEU hearings in July 2019, it unilaterally decided to make the Commission the proxy for the Parliament. This post will show how the Council’s differential treatment of the Commission and the Parliament as activating bodies under Article 7(1) is not compatible with EU primary law and goes against in particular the principle of institutional balance. Continue reading >>
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07 December 2019
Truth vs. Free Speech
Southeast Asian governments have been stepping up their efforts to actively manage the truth by combatting false information. Among the main tools are correction orders and state-run “fake news centers” that monitor and “rectify” alleged falsehoods online. In addition, government discourse employs increasingly belligerent language to denounce the perceived threats. The Southeast Asian “war on fake news” thus makes the region the world’s most vibrant laboratory of anti-falsehood legislation. The protection of the truth is becoming an increasingly accepted ground for restricting free speech. Continue reading >>
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06 December 2019
Kinderrechte ins Grundgesetz: Ein neuer Entwurf bringt nichts Neues
„Kinder sind keine kleinen Erwachsenen.“ Mit diesen Worten kündigte Bundesjustizministerin Christine Lambrecht an, sich für eine Grundgesetzänderung stark zu machen. Die Grundrechte von Kindern sollen in der Verfassung eigens erwähnt werden. Zivilgesellschaftliche Organisationen setzen sich für „Kinderrechte im Grundgesetz“ seit vielen Jahren ein. Mit dem Entwurf, den das Ministerium nun vorgelegt hat, dürften sie aber wenig zufrieden sein. Continue reading >>05 December 2019
Access to Menstrual Products is a Constitutional Right. Period.
On 7 November, the German Parliament (Bundestag) passed a legislation which will reduce the sales tax on menstrual products from 19 percent, for those classified as “luxury goods”, to 7 percent. While most international human rights instruments as well as constitutions are silent on the issue of access to menstrual products, the “tampon tax” reveals a deep gender bias in tax systems around the world. This bias is not only detrimental to the socio-economic rights of women but it is also unconstitutional as sex-based discrimination. Continue reading >>‚Grundrechtsvielfalt‘ als Allzweckwaffe im Rechtsprechungsverbund
Die Reaktionen auf die in der vergangenen Woche veröffentlichten Beschlüsse des Bundesverfassungsgerichts Recht auf Vergessen I und II dürften bei der interessierten Öffentlichkeit von Schnappatmung bis zu zufriedenem Kopfnicken gereicht haben. So oder so – beide Entscheidungen halten Grundlegendes bereit. Neben der Anwendung der Chartagrundrechte durch das Bundesverfassungsgericht in Recht auf Vergessen II zaubert selbiges in Recht auf Vergessen I das Konzept der ‚Grundrechtsvielfalt‘ aus dem Hut. Diese ‚Grundrechtsvielfalt‘ dient dem Bundesverfassungsgericht gleichzeitig als Argument, Zielvorgabe und institutionelle Brücke zum Europäischen Gerichtshof. Continue reading >>
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04 December 2019