Conference Report: International Scientific Conference on ‘Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Constitutional Identity’

Abstract

One of the most significant questions in Europe is constitutional identity. The progression of globalisation and the federalisation of the European Union (EU), hindered sovereignty of the member states. In this climate, the notion of constitutional identity, which is a component of national identity enshrined in constitutions, has become one of the key tools for regaining autonomy. Many conflicting opinions have emerged in the scholarly world regarding the application of constitutional identity. One view is that it is just a vague instrument that aims to obstruct European integration, while another group of experts states that it is the last resort to stop the enforcement of an ideologically filled common identity generated by judicial organs, which is often contrary to national identities. To discuss this topic, a research group titled ‘Constitutional Identity and Relations Between the EU Law and the Domestic Law of the Member States’ was established. The group of renowned experts from France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Italy, and the Slovak Republic led by Professor András Zs. Varga conducted structured scientific research using a common questionnaire. The first outcome of their work was the International Scientific Conference on the ‘Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Constitutional Identity’ presented at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of the Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest. The event served as an extraordinary opportunity to observe the meaning of constitutional identity in member countries, how it is protected, and the similarities and differences between member states. In this short report, I summarised the fundamental points of each presentation to provide key themes and messages.