Veranstaltungen

Veranstalter: Dimitris-Tsatsos-Institut für Europäische Verfassungswissenschaften (DTIEV)

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Peter Schiffauer, stellv. Direktor des Dimitris-Tsatsos-Institut für Europäische Verfassungswissenschaften, FernUniversität in Hagen

The lecture examines the significant patterns in Hungary's constitutional history. First, it identifies the main geopolitical influences and historical constraints that shaped the country's identity and aspirations in the last 500 years. Then, focusing on the 20th century, it gives an introduction into the various constitutional changes the country went through. The sheer number of these constitutional systems – at least 8 in less than a century – shows that instability was perhaps the main feature, which, in its turn gave rise to a longing for political stability. However, as it will be shown, the price of political stability was often the loss of political freedom. The lecture will also highlight the sometimes paradoxical nature of the more stable constitutions: for example the irony, and unintended consequences, of a kingdom without a monarch, or a people's republic without any feature of a meaningful direct or indirect democracy. The aim of the lecture will be to give an insight into constitutional patterns that could enrich the reflection on present day developments in Hungary.

Tamás Lukácsi (Ph.D. law) studied law and political science at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. First he worked in a private law firm, then he accomplished several years of public service in Hungary (Prime Minister’s Office, Ombudsman). He moved to Brussels in 2004. Since then he has been an EU official in the European Parliament. He is an author of various articles on European law and political philosophy, and of a book on Aristotle’s political philosophy.

DTIEV-Online Nr. 1/2019 [pdf]