28 May 2021
Grenzen
รber Zittau, Umweltvertrรคglichkeitsprรผfungen und woran wir uns gewรถhnen kรถnnen und woran nicht Continue reading >>
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27 April 2021
Bad Tandem
With its ruling of 15 April 2021, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal willingly accepts the role of substitute lawmaker. The result is an inelegant, clumsy judgment that creates more problems than it solves. The Constitutional Court as the executor of the parliamentary majority destroys not only its reputation but also the purpose of the negative legislator. In the case of the Commissioner for Human Rights, the solution of a political problem is once again transferred to the Constitutional Court. Continue reading >>
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29 March 2021
Intimidation through Litigation
Last week, legal proceedings were initiated against a Polish writer as well as a couple of high school students for allegedly insulting Polish President Andrzej Duda. These proceedings are just the latest examples of how Polish authorities or their allies attempt to intimidate and silence critics by means of litigation. Continue reading >>
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04 November 2020
Der Trumpf wird zur Last
In Polen wird gerade sehr deutlich, dass es nicht im politischen Interesse liegt, Gerichte parteipolitisch auszurichten. Seit Jahren beobachtet die รffentlichkeit entsetzt, wie die Parlamentsmehrheit unter PiS das Ansehen und die Legitimation des Verfassungsgerichts untergrรคbt. Zunรคchst, indem sie das Gericht verfassungswidrig besetzte und es, quasi gegen seine Natur, zum Verbรผndeten der Parlamentsmehrheit machte. Jetzt kommt noch das umstrittene Abtreibungsurteil vom 22. Oktober dazu. Das Kalkรผl der Regierungspartei scheint jedoch nicht aufgegangen zu sein und die Entscheidung wird fรผr PiS zum politischen Problem. Ignoriert sie das Urteil, wird das โeigeneโ Verfassungsgericht geschwรคcht, setzt sie es um, droht ihr der Machtverlust. Continue reading >>26 August 2020
Fencing Off the Difference
Public statements of high-ranking politicians expressing hostility towards and disdain of sexual minorities have become common in the recent years in Poland. But the problem of โLGBT-Free Zonesโ has given the topic a new constitutional quality. Continue reading >>
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03 August 2020
Polexit – Quo vadis, Polonia?
Unkenntnis und Unwille sind in Polen heute an der Tagesordnung: Unkenntnis darรผber, wie das europรคische Recht und die europรคischen Institutionen funktionieren und Unwille, sich an die freiwillig eingegangenen europรคischen Verpflichtungen zu halten. Wir sind Zeugen, wie in Polen die Grundprinzipien der EU untergraben werden. Wenn aber das Rechtssystem der EU in Polen nicht mehr wirksam ist, ist das: der Polexit. Die bedenkenlose Sรคuberung des Obersten Gerichts, schlieรlich die Aushebelung der Vorabentscheidung, die Einschรผchterung der Richter durch Disziplinarverfahren, das alles ist leider bereits der Polexit. Richtig verstanden bedeutet der Polexit allerdings sehr viel mehr als die Nichtanerkennung des europรคischen Rechts und die Angriffe auf die Gerichte. Continue reading >>21 April 2020
The Constitution as a Bargaining Chip
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Polandโs government is refusing to announce an emergency state, presumably in order to go ahead with the Presidential election on 10 May. Instead, the ruling coalition in Poland has been presenting increasingly controversial proposals aimed at ensuring that the countryโs PiS-aligned President will remain in office. The most recent one envisages a constitutional amendment which would extend the presidentโs term of office. This proposal is nothing but an attempt to blackmail the opposition: either vote for a constitutional change or be blamed for the consequences of holding a presidential election during the pandemic. Continue reading >>29 March 2020
Preparing for the Pandemic Elections
There is no doubt that the essential state institutions should function as effectively as possible in the times of pandemic. It also means finding concrete and fast solutions provided in special statutes, aiming at alleviating social and economic consequences of the coronavirus outbreak. However, even when proceeding the bill known as Anti-crisis Shield (โTarcza antykryzysowaโ) that provides a financial aid for healthcare system, companies and different kinds of workers in Poland, the governing PiS party managed to introduce unconstitutional amendments to the bill. Continue reading >>24 March 2020
An Election in the Time of Pandemic
In Poland, the Law and Justice (PiS) government has opted not to use its constitutional power to declare a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 spreading. As Wojciech Sadurski explained, its motive is simple: not to postpone the Presidential election in Poland and thus increase the chances of the President-in-Office to win the second term. The question is whether the pandemic may cause invalidity of the election. If the answer is yes, as I suggest, the problem is who should be the judge of it. The chamber of the Polish Supreme Court that is empowered by law to do so does not give an โappearance of independenceโ, following the PiSโs so-called โreformโ of the judiciary. Continue reading >>18 March 2020