Konfrontation, Kohabitation, Koalition

Die Parlamentswahlen in Frankreich 2024 haben bisher wenig Konstantes, sondern vor allem Unerwartetes hervorgebracht. Dieser Artikel versucht, das verfassungsrechtliche und politische Geflecht in einem Vierschritt zu entwirren: von der Konfrontationslage zur Kohabitation und Koalitionsbildung sowie zuletzt zu den Konsequenzen für die Europäische Union. Die französischen Parlamentswahlen haben das Land in ein verfassungsrechtliches Spannungsfeld geführt, das die politischen Akteure zwingt, Koalitionen neu zu erlernen, während dabei die europäische Stabilität durch die innerfranzösischen Machtkämpfe auf die Probe gestellt werden wird.

8. August 2024

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Could Hungary be suspended from Schengen?

In early July, the Orbán government announced that it would extend a program that grants third country nationals simplified access and stay to work in Hungary to Russian and Belarussian nationals. This blog maps the ways in which Hungary’s policy might undermine the security of the Schengen area and surveys the tools Member States and EU institutions have at their disposal to counter it. Should the Hungarian government fail to dispel the concerns raised by its extension of the national card system, these mechanisms should be activated to safeguard the security of the Schengen area.

8. August 2024

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Are Rights of Nature Working?

Legal initiatives recognizing the rights of nature have transformed from a trickle to a cascade. But are they really effective? A systematic study on the implementation of the Ecuadorian Los Cedros ruling, one of the most prominent decisions of this sort, shows that it has been notably effective in protecting the forest from mining threats. However, its impact on local community involvement has been limited, and the fate of Los Cedros and the case remain vulnerable.

8. August 2024

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(K)eine Frage der Gerechtigkeit

Wer weder „alt“ noch erwerbsgemindert ist und dennoch seinen Lebensunterhalt nicht aus eigenem Erwerbseinkommen oder Vermögen sichern kann, wird als arbeitsuchend eingestuft. Mit dieser Einstufung sind politische Grundannahmen verbunden, die sich im Existenzsicherungs-, aber auch im Einbürgerungsrecht und im Umgang mit Familienleistungen zeigen: Armut sei in erster Linie Armut an Erwerbsarbeit und Ausdruck einer freien Entscheidung zur Untätigkeit. Auch die als Teil der „Wachstumsinitivative“ angekündigten, zusätzlichen Verschärfungen im Bürgergeldrecht stellen sich damit als logische Fortsetzung einer einheitlichen politischen Linie dar.

8. August 2024

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Why Georgia’s Law on Transparency Violates the Constitution

Since the spring of 2024, the political landscape of Georgia has been experiencing turbulent times. The so-called law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence (“Law on Transparency”) has, for the second time, caused huge public tension. The “Law on Transparency” represents more than a mere legal issue; it symbolizes the country’s choice between totalitarianism and democracy.  

7. August 2024

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Zwei- bis Drei-Klassen-Justiz in Österreich?

Seit der „Ibiza-Affäre“ vom Mai 2019 reißt die Kette an Skandalen in Österreich nicht ab. Zuletzt sorgte die Causa Pilnacek für Aufsehen. Der dazu nun veröffentlichte Kommissionsbericht attestiert Österreichs Justizsystem gravierende Mängel, insbesondere Korruption. In der europäischen Mehrebenenjustiz ist dies letztlich ein genuin europäisches Problem. Die zutage getretenen Schwächen sind damit nicht nur Schwächen der österreichischen Rechts- und Verfassungsordnung, sondern Herausforderungen für die europäische Rechtsstaatlichkeit insgesamt.

7. August 2024

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Breaking with Conservatism?

The Japanese Supreme Court has been described as “the most conservative constitutional court in the world”. And, though lower courts can sometimes be more active, the Japanese judiciary as a whole tends also to be referred to as conservative. However, recent developments challenge this view. In particular, Japanese courts have begun to issue rulings in favour of the rights of sexual and gender minorities on issues like same-sex marriage and gender recognition. Do these decisions suggest that the conservatism of the Japanese judiciary has been overstated – or are they signs of change?

7. August 2024

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A Setback for Homeless Rights in the United States

On June 28, 2024, the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson (Grants Pass), its most significant case on homelessness in decades. The decision overturned the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s 2018 decision in Martin v. Boise (Martin), which mandated that cities allow unhoused individuals to sleep in public spaces when shelter beds were not available. The decision fails to consider the root causes of homelessness in the United States and exacerbates the already fragmented regulatory landscape governing the vulnerable community of the unhoused.

6. August 2024

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Making the Unacceptable Acceptable

Over the last days, England and Northern Ireland have witnessed a wave of racist violence and destruction. These riots, which have thrown the country into chaos, included attacks on mosques, burning of cars, and confrontations with the police. The racist nature of the events is made clear by the racist chants that are sung amid them, by posters shown by participants, and by the selective targeting of minorities. Given how shocking these scenes are, one naturally wonders what is causing them. Research suggests that elite rhetoric in recent months can have made these events more likely, by making far-right individuals feel that acting on their views is more acceptable.

6. August 2024

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The Right to Defend Rights

On April 21, Narciso Beleño, a rural (campesino) leader and human rights defender who worked for the restitution of land and the sustainable exploitation of natural resources in Colombia, was murdered. Sadly, this is not an isolated case. 79% of the murders of human rights defenders occur in the Americas, with 47% in Colombia alone. Two recent judgments by the Constitutional Court of Colombia and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights have now addressed the phenomenon and gave legal life to the right to defend human rights.

6. August 2024

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