Articles for tag: Checks and Balances, Conseil Constitutionnel, efficiency, Emmanuel Macron, Frankreich, Gewaltenteilung

How Emmanuel Macron’s Quest for Efficiency Undermines French Democracy

Emmanuel Macron presented his program for the next presidential election on Thursday, March 17. He plans to relaunch his major reform of the institutions to make them work more efficiently and reaffirmed his desire to have a “strong executive power”, that is, a President who is not encumbered by too many counterweights. This concern for efficiency is a clear sign of impatience with the democratic process. By letting the executive power decide alone, the whole balance of powers could be affected.

28. März 2022

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What is Low isn’t Free

Emmanuel Macron’s proposition to raise university tuition fees in France was met with much criticism, including that it would be unconstitutional. Yet, French case law is not very clear on this point. A recent decision of the highest administrative court, the Conseil d’Etat, opens a path for the government to dramatically increase tuition fees. That decision effectively amounted to overturning a landmark preliminary ruling of the French constitutional court, the Conseil Constitutionnel.

20. Januar 2022

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Liberté, Egalité, Identité

Berichten zufolge plädiert die französische Regierung vor dem obersten französischen Verwaltungsgericht, dem Conseil d’État, dafür, ein Urteil des EuGH zur Vorratsdatenspeicherung nicht zu befolgen, weil es gegen die französische Verfassungsidentität verstoße. Die Entscheidung steht noch aus, aber sollte das Gericht der französischen Regierung folgen wäre das ein weiterer Schlag gegen den Vorrang des EU-Rechts. Dabei ist die Berufung auf die französische Verfassungsidentität kein überzeugendes Konzept – erst recht nicht wenn es um Vorratsdatenspeicherung geht.

25. März 2021

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The French Habeas Corpus and Covid-19

In January 2021, the French Constitutional Council published an important decision on the protection of the right to liberty during the state of sanitary emergency. The Constitutional Council decided that extending the duration of pre-trial detention without a decision made by a judge was contrary to article 66 of the Constitution. The decision implies that while authorities can resort to exceptional powers during a pandemic, they must still respect basic human rights.

2. Februar 2021

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The Solidarity Offense in France: Egalité, Fraternité, Solidarité!

On July 6 2018, the French Constitutional Council ruled that the commonly called “delit de solidarité” or “solidarity offense” which criminalises any person who facilitates the irregular entry or stay of a foreigner in France is partially unconstitutional. Even if the legislator has to reconcile the constitutional principle of fraternity with the safeguarding of the public order, the former implies the “freedom to help others, for a humanitarian purpose, without considering the legality of their residence on the national territory”.

6. Juli 2018

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Is the Crime in the Eye of the Beholder?

The French Constitutional Council has, for the second time, struck down a law that prohibits the usual consultation of terrorist websites. There is a higher abstract risk associated to the act of publishing a message than in the isolated act of reading it. Focusing on the prevention of the harm likely to be inflicted by the reader of the websites might not be the only way to deal with this statute, though.

8. Januar 2018

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Wirtschaft und Menschenrechte: die „Loi Rana Plaza“ vor dem französischen Conseil constitutionnel

Frankreich hat mit der „Loi Rana Plaza“ das weltweit erste Gesetz zur Regelung einer verbindlichen menschenrechtlichen Sorgfaltspflicht für Unternehmen geschaffen. Das Gesetz hat nun seine erste Bewährungsprobe bestanden. Im Rahmen einer präventiven Normenkontrolle entschied der Conseil constitutionnel am 23. März 2017 über die Verfassungsmäßigkeit des Gesetzes. Lediglich die vorgesehene Sanktion der Geldbuße kassierte er und gab dem Gesetz im Übrigen grünes Licht.

29. März 2017

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French Constitutional Council Strikes Down “Blank Check“ Provision in the 2015 Intelligence Act

Can intelligence agencies and their practice of secret state surveillance be reconciled with the rule of law? Is the unprecedented global debate on surveillance opened by the Snowden disclosures in 2013 bringing intelligence work closer to democratic standards? Last week, the French Constitutional Council indirectly dealt with these pressing questions by striking down a blank-check provision in the 2015 Intelligence Act, excluding “measures taken by public authorities to ensure, for the sole purpose of defending national interests, the surveillance and the control of Hertzian transmissions" from safeguards like the authorisation of the Prime Minister and the ex-ante opinion of an oversight commission.

26. Oktober 2016

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