11 March 2024
A Constitutional Dignitary Conceived in the Orbán-Regime
On 26 February, Tamás Sulyok, the former President of the Hungarian Constitutional Court, was elected Head of State by the Parliament. The election of Tamás Sulyok as a member of the Constitutional Court and then as its president was part of the process during which Fidesz took over the Constitutional Court. Sulyok’s presidency (2016-2024) was a testimony to the fact that the Constitutional Court has become subservient to the Fidesz-dominated political branches, and there is no sign that he has actively tried to do anything against it. Based on what we have seen so far, therefore, Tamás Sulyok is part of the Orbán-regime, and nothing suggests that he will exercise greater autonomy and independence in his role as Head of State. Continue reading >>
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11 October 2021
Post-Electoral Changes in Czechia with a Hospitalised Head of State
The Czech Republic held parliamentary elections this past weekend, on 8 and 9 October 2021. The party of the incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Babiš was defeated, albeit by a small margin, and for the first time in its history, the country will most likely be led by a government composed of no less than five political entities. Constitutionally (and traditionally), the President of the Republic moderates the post-electoral negotiations between the parties, convenes the first meeting of the newly established Chamber of Deputies, and appoints the new Prime Minister and the government. However, President Miloš Zeman was taken to hospital yesterday, on the day after the general elections, and remains hospitalised at an intensive care unit. Could the President’s illness at this very crucial moment cause a constitutional stalemate? Continue reading >>15 February 2016
Regierungsbildung in Spanien: der unbedachte König und der listige Anwärter
Spanien hat fast zwei Monate nach den Parlamentswahlen immer noch keine Regierung. Im Augenblick bemüht sich Pedro Sánchez, der sozialistische Spitzenkandidat, um eine mehrheitsfähige Koalition. Dabei war es eigentlich sein Konkurrent Mariano Rajoy von der konservativen Partido Popular, der als relativer Wahlsieger den Auftrag zur Regierungsbildung hätte bekommen sollen. Dieser hatte aber das Angebot des Königs überraschenderweise abgelehnt – ein Vorgehen, das gegen Artikel 99 der Spanischen Verfassung (SV) verstößt und die ohnehin schon schwierige Regierungsbildung zusätzlich verfassungsrechtlich überschattet. Continue reading >>
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