The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany of 23 May 1949, which at the time only encompassed “West Germany”, had just turned two years old when the “European Coal and Steel Community“ (ECSC, of 23 July 1952) came into force.
Read MoreGerman federalism is different from “dual” federal systems, such as the United States of America, characterised by parallel federal and state structures. By contrast, in Germany the federal administration is not fully developed: the Länder take care of the implementation of federal legislation as well as of their own in order to avoid costly and inefficient duplication.
Read MoreProbably the most notable feature of German governance is its highly consensual style of decision-making. The fathers and mothers of the German Basic Law provided for several institutional features promoting this consensual governance style.
Read MoreWith the enactment of the Basic Law, some of the central debates relating to Weimar Constitutional Law came to an end: the range of emergency competences of the Reichspresident became just as obsolete as the discussions about constitutional amendments and other problems. It is different with fundamental rights, though.
Read MoreThere can be no functioning state without money. Finances enable policy-makers to act. The constitutional rules governing finances – the financial constitution – therefore determine an essential power factor, and in this respect bring about a highly-distinctive separation of powers between the Federation, the Länder and municipalities.
Read MoreOn 23 May 2019 the German Basic Law turned 70. It entered into force on that day in 1949, after having been drafted for nine months by the ‘parliamentary council’ tasked with the elaboration of the constitution by the occupying forces and having been accepted by more than two thirds of the Länder assemblies.
Read MoreThe blog of the International Association of Constitutional Law (IACL)
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