Electoral Law Blues
With the next scheduled federal election about 14 months away, Germany has a problem. On July 25, 2012 the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that most, if not all, of the electoral law passed in late 2011 is unconstitutional. In fact it is so unconstitutional that the Court refused to allow any “temporary,” stop-gap version of the old law for 2013. What happens if the Merkel government falls before then (unlikely, but always a possibility in a parliamentary system)? No one knows.
Seeking Solutions in Syria
While the media in the U.S. and in Europe spent the last two weeks largely focused on the final Olympic medals count in London, reports on the rising body count …
Slimming Down: The Pivot, Austerity, and the Path Ahead for Transatlantic Security
“If Article 5 beckons, the United States should and will be there.” Barry Pavel and Jeff Lightfoot of the Atlantic Council It goes beyond saying that this statement is one …
National ID: Fear Meets Fairness
In a somewhat overlooked decision of the Supreme Court, the key provision of Arizona state’s immigration law is ruled constitutional. Giving rise to calls for and against this “your papers, …
Constitutional Review and the German Bailout Controversy
The United States Supreme Court and Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court have recently become the focal point over a series of hotly debated political issues in their respective countries. As they decide on issues that could have far reaching political consequences, Donald Kommers examines the frameworks under which both courts operate.
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The struggle over sharing the burden of a weak economy in Europe has generated tension not only between countries, but also within them. Germany is no exception – the national debate about subsidies for the Länder is reflective of the larger European debate about fiscal reform.
Supervising Sovereignty: Germany’s Constitutional Court at Work
However long it takes for the Federal Constitutional Court to rule on the legality of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the end result will be another chapter in the interpretation …
Prospects for National and Transatlantic Security under Austere Defense Spending
Looming on the horizon, January 1, 2013 and the beginning of sequestration’s effects are approaching closer and closer. A consequence of the Budget Control Act of 2011, budget sequestration is …
Future Perspectives for Transatlantic Relations
Prof. Dr. Stefan Fröhlich, Professor for International Politics at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, examines the challenges and agenda for transatlantic relations in this teaser to his recent book entitled The New Geopolitics of Transatlantic Relations: Coordinated Responses to Common Dangers.
The Arab Awakening One Year On: A European Perspective
The Arab awakening that commenced late in 2010 has precipitated vast political changes in Arab nations. While the upheaval continues in many societies, nations such as Egypt and Tunisia continue …