Constitutional Identities in Central and Eastern Europe

This collection of papers explores the concept of constitutional identity in theory and with specific reference to Central and Eastern Europe at a time when many countries across but also beyond the region seem to appeal to an identarian rhetoric in order to justify their illiberal political attitudes. Drawing on law, political science, philosophy or sociology, the contributions address salient questions of constitutional and political theory like the understanding of (constitutional) identity in a post-Westphalian legal order, the extent and the stakes of judicial dialogue between national and supranational (European) judges and the so-called abusive legal transplants. As such, the book also touches upon more general topics such as the rule of law, populism, globalization, legal consciousness and legal culture.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 7 List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................... 9 Part I Central and Eastern Europe Reexamined: The ‘CEE Forum’ Alexandra Mercescu Introduction: From Country to Country, From Time to Time, Questions and Answers of Self and Other .......................................................... 13 Balázs Fekete The (First) Ten Years of the CEE-Forum: Timeline, Data and Assessment .............................................................................................................. 25 Part II Constitutional Identities: Theoretical Frameworks Jiří Přibáň interviewed by Karel Hvížďala In Quest of Democratic Values and Identities in Central European Constitutionalism: on the Post-1989 Histories and Politics in the Czech Republic ................................................................................................................... 37 Zoltán Szente The Constitutional Identity Conundrum ............................................................ 59 Martin Belov Constitutional Identity ・ Westphalian Reflection of the Constitutional Heritage of the Nation State or Post-Westphalian Alternative to Sovereignty in the Context of Supranational Constitutionalism? ................... 73 Sorina Doroga Understanding Constitutional Identity Through the Language of Courts ......... 91 Mario Krešic Legal Consciousness and the (De)constitutionalization of the Legal Order .................................................................................................. 117 Part III Constitutional Identities: Regional Self-Questionings Flaminia Stârc-Meclejan Environmental Legal Consciousness in Romania: Beyond Roșia Montană .......................................................................................... 137 Przemysław Tacik Polish Constitutional Identity under the Illiberal Turn .................................... 157 Mirosław Michał Sadowski Central Europe in the Search of (Lost) Identity. The Illiberal Swerve ............. 173 Stefan Andonović and Uroš Bajović The Role of Independent Control Bodies in Shaping Constitutional Identity ..................................................................................................................... 195 Lucian Bojin and Alexandra Mercescu Protests in Romania: Civil Society, Populism and Civic Constitutionalism ......................................................................................... 209 List of Figures .......................................................................................................... 225 Notes on Contributors ........................................................................................... 227 Index of Names ....................................................................................................... 233 Index of Notions ..................................................................................................... 237

About the Author :
Alexandra Mercescu teaches comparative public law at the West University of Timisoara. She is also an affiliated researcher at the Centre for Legal Education and Social Theory (Wroclaw University). Her PhD, obtained from Sorbonne University, was published as Pour une comparaison des droits indisciplinée with the Swiss publisher Helbing Lichtenhahn.