The Outline of Populist Constitutionalism

Redakcja (Mateusz Pękala) — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 16:34:31 +0000

Mgr Jakub HUDSKÝ

University of Wroclaw

English abstract: The aim of this article is to present the assumptions of the populist constitutionalism in view of the unwavering support for populist groups and the related beliefs, resulting in irreversible changes in the perception of democratic reality. The starting point is an attempt to grasp the essence of populism and describe its elementary features. Populism is often defined in opposition to liberal thought and is analysed on two plans – the ideological and pragmatic one. An analysis of both of these elements makes it possible to indicate the political concept of populist democracy, the implementation of which is the goal of populists who achieve power. The assumptions of populist democracy are based on the implementation of the unfettered and current will of the people; at the same time, this concept perceives reality in an agonistic way – it is aware of the political necessity of all elements of public space, which make up the arena for the constantly clashing opposing interests. The above theses create a perspective through which one should look at the phenomenon of populist constitutionalism. There is no doubt that its starting point will be putting into practice populist beliefs and assumptions of populist democracy. Populist constitutional discourse, striving to implement the will of the people, does not reject the liberal institutions that have been in force so far. On the contrary, this phenomenon takes advantage of the hitherto achievements of constitutionalism and strives to transform them in such a way that – at least in principle – the will of the people can be implemented in the most unrestricted way possible. The final part of the reflections concerns the approach of populism to the constituent power, i.e., the power that enables the adoption and amendment of the constitution. It might seem that ‘legalizing’ the constituent power (e.g., in the form of an imperative mandate or popular referenda) would lead to the expansion of the power of the people, but populists do not seem to share this position. They point out that establishing a procedure which allows for additional expression of the will by citizens actually constrains their movements. Formal restrictions (e.g., the minimum number of signatures required) can often thwart the popular initiative.

Keywords: populist constitutionalism, populism, law, illiberalism, constituent power

Language: Polish

Published: Number 4(37)/2023, pp. 40-53.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2023.4.40

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This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Polish Disputes Between Populist and Legal Constitutionalism in the Context of Reflexivity of Constitution

Karolina Gmerek — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:25:15 +0000

Dr hab. Maciej Pichlak

Uniwersytet Wrocławski

English abstract: The article aims to analyse legal constitutionalism and populist constitutionalism as two dominant ideological positions in the constitutional discourse of the last decades. The analysis is focused on the exemplifications of these positions in writings of selected Polish legal scholars, in the context of the Polish constitutional crisis of the rule of law, and conducted from the perspective of the philosophy of reflexivity. This theoretical and methodological approach enables demonstrating that the two examined doctrines – despite all the differences between them – share common erroneous assumptions regarding the relationships between law, democracy, and constitutional practice. Both of them strive to shape this practice in a closed-end and monological manner, subjected to one particular type of rationality. For legal constitutionalism, this will be juridical rationality, and for its populist counterpart – political rationality. This shared fallacy makes their ongoing dispute futile. An alternative approach to constitutionalism is to take into account the fundamental reflexivity of constitutional practice (regarded as the practice of creating, applying and interpreting a constitution, and of public debate on its text). In line with the general characteristics of reflexivity, constitutional practice appears as an open and pluralistic process, mediating between different viewpoints in society. Such an alternative is important not only when considering the Polish constitutional disputes, but also in the broader context of the contemporary crisis of liberal-democratic constitutional orders.

Keywords: legal constitutionalism, populist constitutionalism, reflexive constitutionalism, reflexivity of law, constitutional crisis, crisis of the rule-of-law state, crisis of the rule of law

Language: Polish

Published: Number 1(30)/2022, pp. 63-73

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36280/AFPiFS.2022.1.63

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Number of downloads: 380