The Federal Constitutional Court: Guardian of German Democracy

Abstract

Germany's Federal Constitutional Court rivals the Supreme Court of the United States in protecting political democracy. Its jurisprudence of democracy has shaped the course and character of German politics while upholding the rule of law and defending the constitutionally prescribed “free democratic basic order.” In furtherance of these objectives, the Constitutional Court has invalidated regulations limiting the rights of minor parties and constitutionalizing measures designed to stabilize Germany's system of parliamentary government. These purposes have been served by constitutional decisions on voting rights, public funding of election campaigns, dissolution of Parliament, and proportional representation, including the limiting 5 percent clause. These decisions, along with a discussion of the Hessian Election Review Case—a reminder of Bush v. Gore—are calculated to make political representation both responsive and responsible and to anchor the political system firmly in the democratic values at the heart of the Basic Law.

Právo Na Odpor a Koncept Bránící Se Demokracie – Český Přístup

“…Nevýhodou pojetí prvního je možnost dosti výrazně omezovat realizaci zájmů živých lidí s odkazem na vůli fiktivního lidu, nevýhodou pojetí druhého riziko zvrhnutí se v tyranii většiny. 21 Právo na odpor slavilo renesanci spolu s doktrínou přirozených práv po II. světové válce v reakci na selhání mechanismů právního státu ve formálním pojetí.…”

“…20 Ve koncepci Carla Schmitta je empirický lid suverénem právě tehdy, je-li způsobilý pravidla "přebít", odsunout či suspendovat. 21 zásad mezinárodního práva. Koncepce úpravy zmíněného práva je zde bližší pozitivistickému přístupu než v jiných ústavách, v nichž je zakotvena.…”

Rule of Law and the Doctrine of Proportionality; Appraisal, Rational and Validation

“…According to this approach, proportionality is derived from the rule of law. (Donald Kommers, 2006) It can be justified that democracy is the source of proportionality, which applies mutatis mutandis to the principle of rule of law, as a legal source of proportionality. Hence, the close connection between rule of law and democracy makes this principle a special source of proportionality.…”

Institutionalizing the democratic party-state: political parties as ‘public utilities’ in Italy and West Germany, 1945–75

“…It eventually played a role in the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court to outlaw the neo-Nazi Socialist Reich Party and the German Communist Party. 44 As in Germany, many Italian politicians felt that a democratic 'party-state' could only function as long as parties were democratic. Costantino Mortati, by now a Christian Democrat (Democrazia Cristiana, DC), representative in the Constituent Assembly, not only argued that parties should determine the direction of national politics, but also stated that the state should be allowed to ensure that parties had transparent finances, and were democratically organized internally.…”