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Category: re:constitution

A monitor showing voting results in Albania.

re:constitution / Rethinking Democracy through Constitutional Adjudication

Constitutional Imperative vs. Parliamentary Defiance in Albania: The Unresolved Case of an Alleged Mandate Incompatibility

By Arnisa Tepelija. When can a constitutional court compel a democratically elected parliament to act against its will, or compel it to vote in a certain way? Or, to put it differently, can a parliament ignore the decisions of the constitutional court? These questions lie at the heart ofa protracted standoff between the National Assembly in Albania and its Constitutional Court. The standoff reveals competing visions of democracy: one prioritising majority rule and legislative autonomy, the other emphasising constitutional obligation and political party minority protection.

Stamps of different colours on top of a desk.

Issues / re:constitution

Bureaucrats Under Illiberal Rule. How Governments Subdue Bureaucrats and How They Fight Back

By Dániel G. Szabó. This blog post summarises and analyses some of the leading scholarship on bureaucrats under illiberal rule and compares leading authors’ taxonomies on government approaches and strategies towards the bureaucracy, and bureaucratic reactions to these actions. It is discussed how governments might try to influence and subdue the public service and how it can fight back or resist. Despite the immense importance of the topic – governments in our societies cannot do anything without the intermediation of an army of bureaucrats – it is relatively understudied.

Stamps of different colours on top of a desk.

Issues / re:constitution

Illiberális kormány és a közigazgatás. Az államapparátus térdre kényszerítése és bürokratikus ellenállás

[HUNGARIAN] By Dániel G. Szabó. Ez a tanulmány az illiberális kormányok mellett működő közigazgatásról szóló szakirodalmat elemezte és összehasonlította, hogy különbőz szerzők hasonló jelenségeket milyen különböző fogalmakkal írnak le. A közigazgatás óriási jelentősége ellenére – hiszen a modern társadalmakat hivatalnokok működtetik – ez továbbra is kevéssé kutatott terület. Záró gondolatként a blogbejegyzés amellett érvelt, hogy a kormány és az apparátus viszonyát kutató szakirodalom általános szervezetszociológiai keretben is értelmezhető, valamint kiemelte a kérdőíves és interjúalapú kutatások megvilágító erejét, valamint – új elemként – a bírósági jegyzőkönyvek forrásértékét.

A sign on a construction site showcasing pictures of the planed building.

Academic Freedom / re:constitution

Castles of Illiberal Thought. The Rise and Role of Government-Organised Non-Governmental Organisations in Academic Contexts

By Etienne Hanelt. Academic freedom has been significantly curtailed in recent years, albeit in Hungary, not the EU at large. The Hungarian government has done this both through pressure on academic institutions on the one hand and the creation and expansion of illiberal Government-Organised Non-Governmental Organisations (GONGOs). This article looks at Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), an Orbán-linked “think tank” and academy for nurturing illiberal elites. “Experts” from these institutes are often invited in Hungarian public television to present, elaborate and support the government’s positions.

A sign on a construction site showcasing pictures of the planed building.

Academic Freedom / re:constitution

Az illiberális gondolkodás bástyái: A kormány által szervezett nem kormányzati szervezetek felemelkedése és szerepe az akadémiai térben

[HUNGARIAN] By Etienne Hanelt. Academic freedom has been significantly curtailed in recent years, albeit in Hungary, not the EU at large. The Hungarian government has done this both through pressure on academic institutions on the one hand and the creation and expansion of illiberal Government-Organised Non-Governmental Organisations (GONGOs). This article looks at Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC), an Orbán-linked “think tank” and academy for nurturing illiberal elites. “Experts” from these institutes are often invited in Hungarian public television to present, elaborate and support the government’s positions.

A building with a front of columns made out of white stone.

re:constitution / Rethinking Democracy through Constitutional Adjudication

The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia: Experimenting with a Developmental Conception of Democracy

By Rosa Ristawati. This post discusses selected decisions in which the Indonesian Constitutional Court attempted to conceptualize democracy more explicitly. The principles of democracy have included public participation in the open-proportional system of election, the open and fair contest of election (the simultaneous resources elections provide for political legitimacy and free competition), political inclusion (the elimination of threshold and minimum age judgment), and equal access to the political system (anti-discrimination standards for candidates). Ultimately, the Court’s discourse in these decisions leans towards formulating an obligation for democracy to give room and opportunity for all people without exceptions.

Abstract art in blue and lilac.

Issues / re:constitution

The European Democracy Shield – A Toolbox for Safeguarding Digital Democracy?

By Valentina Golunova. On 12 November 2025, the European Commission presented its long-awaited Communication ‘European Democracy Shield: Empowering Strong and Resilient Democracies’. It promises to ‘reinforce the core elements that allow citizens to live our shared democratic values every day’ (European Commission, 2025c). To that end, the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) puts forward a broad spectrum of measures to strengthen the security and integrity of the European Union’s (EU) information ecosystem, particularly in the face of foreign interference.

The building of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania on a sunny day.

re:constitution / Rethinking Democracy through Constitutional Adjudication

Addressing Value Pluralism: The Lithuanian Constitutional Court Enhances Democracy by Resolving the Deadlock of Civil Unions

By Donatas Murauskas. The issue of civil unions for same-sex couples has long been one of the most contentious and sensitive topics in Lithuanian politics, reflecting deeper societal tensions. This changed on 17th April 2025, when, in a significant development, the Lithuanian Constitutional Court addressed the long-standing issue of legal recognition for same-sex and opposite-sex civil unions. This blog post examines how the Constitutional Court addressed one of the fundamental challenges of deliberative democracy in practice – value pluralism – which had stalled the Parliament for many years.

Teenagers and young adults holding protest signs, reading e.g. "Justicia Climática" or "Si no escuchas al planeta me escucharas a mí".

Issues / re:constitution

A Right to Defend the Environment. Legal Protection for Environmental Advocacy in the IACtHR’s Climate Advisory Opinion

By Nina Alizadeh Marandi and Philipp Schönberger. As the world faces an escalating triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – those who step forward to defend the environment are increasingly stigmatized, criminalized, and subjected to violence. It is therefore not surprising that the protection of environmental defenders features prominently in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ (IACtHR). By recognizing environmental defenders as essential actors in democratic climate governance, the IACtHR’s advisory opinion advances a bold vision of environmental democracy that positions civic engagement as a vital precondition for legitimate and effective climate action.

Picture of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt.

re:constitution / Rethinking Democracy through Constitutional Adjudication

Islamocracy and Judicial Review in Egypt

By Mohamed ‘Arafa. In democratic societies, the relationship between democracy and religion can be harmonious, as democracy ensures the freedom to practice religion, while religious diversity can enrich public discourse. This post explores the intersection of democracy, judicial review, and Shārīe‘ā law, focusing on the tensions and possibilities that arise when religious legal principles interact with democratic governance. It discusses how Article 2 of the Egyptian Constitution, which asserts the supremacy of Shārīe‘ā law in certain legal contexts, interacts with democratic ideals and the practice of judicial review.