Sovereignty, Civic Participation, and Constitutional Law: The People versus the Nation in Belgium Deseure Brecht
Sovereignty, Civic Participation, and Constitutional Law: The People versus the Nation in Belgium Deseure Brecht This book brings recent insights about sovereignty and citizen participation in the…
Specifikacia Sovereignty, Civic Participation, and Constitutional Law: The People versus the Nation in Belgium Deseure Brecht
Sovereignty, Civic Participation, and Constitutional Law: The People versus the Nation in Belgium Deseure Brecht
This book brings recent insights about sovereignty and citizen participation in the Belgian Constitution to scholars in the fields of law, philosophy, history, and politics.Throughout the Western world, there are increasing calls for greater citizen participation. This book focuses on the Belgian debate, where the introduction of participatory politics has stalled because of an ambiguity in the Constitution. Referendums, citizen councils, and other forms of direct democracy are considered necessary antidotes to a growing hostility towards traditional party politics.
In light of this, direct democracy would be an unconstitutional power grab by the current generation of citizens. Scholars and judges generally claim that the Belgian Constitution gives ultimate power to the nation, which can only speak through representation in parliament. This book critically investigates this