Counterclaims
In the Thuringia project, we spent a year researching the concrete legal pathways authoritarian populists could take to cause damage to our institutions and society when in office. Our results show: democracy is vulnerable. Under this impression, we published a policy paper, produced a podcast, held various workshops and wrote a book that proclaims said vulnerability in its title.
What remains is the vague feeling that more needs to be done. And that authoritarian action often targets those who are the most vulnerable.
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That’s why we joined forces with FragDenStaat and Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte on Tuesday to launch “Gegenrechtsschutz” (Legal Defence Fund).
The idea is simple: those affected by authoritarian, abusive administrative action should get access to legal advice, and if necessary legal protection. After getting in touch through our website we conduct a preliminary examination of the case and refer applicants to fitting lawyers from our partners. We also cover the legal fees via our fund, which is financed by civil society.
The goal is to help you take legal action against authoritarian state measures. Be it the racist exclusion from school classes, the unlawful demonstration ban or the denial of non-profit status. Every case counts!
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Das European Center for Constitutional And Human Rights in Berlin sucht eine:n Legal Advisor für den Programmbereich „Völkerstraftaten und rechtliche Verantwortung“, insbesondere in den Projekten zu Palästina / Israel. Voraussetzung ist ein abgeschlossenes Jurastudium mit Qualifikationen im Völkerrecht, Menschenrechtsrecht oder internationalen Strafrecht. Wir sind eine unabhängige, gemeinnützige Menschenrechtsorganisation, die vorrangig mit juristischen Mitteln arbeitet. Es erwartet Sie eine spannende und herausfordernde Tätigkeit in einer international tätigen Menschenrechtsorganisation mit einem globalen Netzwerk und zahlreichen Vorteilen von Teamaktivitäten bis hin zu kostenlosen Yogastunden!
Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier.
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The central criterion for GegenRechtsSchutz is the abusive nature of state action. One of the techniques used by authoritarian populism is the selective application of the law. This involves breaking the law in carefully selected spots without completely turning away from the supposed commitment to the rule of law itself. That way – gradually – the boundaries of the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights are shifted and distorted. This tactic relies upon the fact that those affected simply accept the unjust treatment by the authorities. In many cases, illegality could be proven in court. However, due to the lack of financial resources – or even courage in the face of the overbearing administration, many cases never reach the courts.
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There is a good reason authoritarian populists begin their attack by threatening the independent judiciary, be it in Poland or Hungary, in Italy or in the USA. Under the rule of law executive power is kept in check by the judiciary. Of course, authoritarian populists still have the option of executive disobedience. But our aimis to preserve a system in which the distinction between legal and illegal still matters, and these categories do not lose their meaning altogether. This requires not only independent courts to adjudicate, but also the affected people to take legal action. Providing legal counsel, financial resources and the courage to fight injustice is the purpose of “Gegenrechtsschutz”.
We can build on what already exists. FragDenStaat has already successfully provided support in the area of civil SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participaton) tactics; this effort is now expanded to include the broad field of abusive administrative action. Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte has years of experience in strategic litigation for the purpose of protecting fundamental rights. Verfassungsblog can not only contribute comprehensive insights into the strategies of authoritarian populism. We also draw on a network in civil society that we have built up in the course of the Thuringia-Project. Furthermore, we cooperate with the German Bar Association and the Republican Bar Association to ensure that excellent lawyers are available to take on cases in every relevant area of law.
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Wir suchen eine Redakteur*in für Öffentliches Sicherheitsrecht und Strafrecht. Die Stelle besetzen wir im Rahmen eines Kooperationsprojekts mit dem Max-Planck-Institut für die Erforschung von Kriminalität, Sicherheit und Recht in Freiburg. Zu den wesentlichen Aufgaben gehören:
- die redaktionelle Mitarbeit am Betrieb des Verfassungsblogs,
- Autor*innenakquise,
- Themenplanung,
- das Redigieren von Texten
- sowie die Betreuung von Online-Symposien.
Interessiert? Alle Infos findest du hier.
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Now, we need your help. We want to ensure that those affected know that we exist. So: spread the word! If you are a lawyer yourself, get in touch and become part of our network. And we need money to fund the legal fees. Our vision is a legal aid structure by civil society for civil society. In the spirit of civilian constitutional protection, we do not want to be dependent on large donors, but rather an independent corrective against authoritarianism. We look forward to your support!
The elections in Thuringia are no more than three weeks away. The prediction that the Alternative for Germany will be the strongest party is no longer called into question. With the uncertainties of the 5% hurdle, the unstable coalition options and the crisis-prone nature of the Thuringian premier election; the scenarios of a blocking minority or even an authoritarian prime minister are by no means off the table. Even if it doesn’t look like the worst case scenario at the moment – the Kemmerich crisis in 2020 showed: Anything can happen in Thuringia. And in Saxony anyway.
Whatever happens in the election on September 1st and in the following elections: The threat to democracy is immediate and real. But if worst comes to worst, we can do something. Using the rule of law, we can fight back.
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Lastly, a note on events: On the 27th of August, we will be presenting the recommendations for action and results of our Thuringia project in five different panels. The co-hosted event with Netzwerk Demokratiebildung in Thüringen, Weltoffenen Thüringen, EJBW and VTZB e.V. will take place from 10 am to 4 pm at Reithaus an der Ilm in Weimar. You can still register until the 16th of August. Participation is free for all those who have supported the research work of the Thuringia project with a donation (please register with the same e-mail address that was used for the donation and note this in the registration form under ‘Other’). The event will be held in German. Further information can be found here.
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That’s all for today’s special edition. We will resume our weekly editorials in September. Take care and all the best,
the Verfassungsblog Editorial Team
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