Does the More than Thirty-Year Existence of New Constitutional Democracies in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe Represent a Benefit to Classical and Contemporary Constitutionalism?

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract The revolutionary transition of the former political-totalitarian systems of the states of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe meant the installation of democratic governance based on the constitution. This development was also accompanied by the disintegration of three so-called socialist federations and the emergence of at least ten new independent states. All states of the regions of Europe studied here applied the constitutional experience of traditional classical constitutional models, such as the English, American (USA), French and current German ones, in a certain, yet different way. In this sense, a parliamentary form of government was set up in the environment of a republic, competitive pluralist democracy, a system of territorial self-government, the protection of human rights and freedoms, including the review of constitutionality of constitutionality by specialized constitutional courts. The contribution of these states to comparative constitutional law, both classical and contemporary, lies not only in the multifaceted development of classical constitutional models and individual institutions of constitutional democracy.