Current News

   |   by OK

World Comparative Law invites submissions for an upcoming special issue on public law and political oppositions. This issue is open to all methodological approaches and it will encompass papers investigating  varying political regimes and governmental structures. Deadline for abstracts in 1st June 2024.

   |   by OK

Can the principle of opposition be constitutionalized? Danny Schindler’s study on all African constitutions reveals a wide array of rules to recognize and empower the parliamentary opposition. In general, the dividends of nominally democratic rules might be smaller than expected.

   |   by OK

Article 49.3 of the French Constitution enables the government to pass bills without the consent of the National Assembly, something regularly commented upon. Traditionally
of rare occurrence, the number of its uses has skyrocketed in the past year. This issue of the Blickpunkt takes a deeper look into what this procedure actually is, where it comes from, how it was used historically, and explains the reasons of its newfound relevance in nowadays French political configuration, as well as its risks for parliamentary democracy.

   |   by OK

Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight of the Bundestag and the Assemblée nationale was criticised. While the criticism in France focussed primarily on legal obstacles, in Germany the work of the opposition was judged to be inadequate. The article examines the question of which criteria can be used for a more systematic assessment of parliamentary control in times of crisis.

   |   by OK

Pablo Oñate (Spain), who was elected President-Elect by the IPSA Council in 2021, officially became the new President of IPSA on July 18, following the election of the President-Elect by the Council at the 2023 IPSA World Congress in Buenos Aires. Succeeding Dianne Pinderhughes (United States), Prof. Oñate will serve a two-year term from 2023 to 2025.

   |   by OK

Are representative democracies able to fight climate change? And how does climate change affect the viability of democracy? Those questions were adressed by politicians, scholars, represenatives of civil society and the media during a roundtable debate organized by Das Progressive Zentrum on May 10. Among the selected guests, IParl was represented by its director Danny Schindler.

   |   by OK

After the repeat election to the Berliner Abgeordnetenhaus on February 12, the SPD has decided to negotiate a coalition with the CDU, the winner of the election, although a continuation of the previous red-green-red governing coalition is mathematically possible. However, the SPD party members have the final say. The course of events so far already demonstrates that coalition building is always also power politics - between and within the parties.

   |   by KS

On 22 February 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz proclaimed a "Zeitenwende" (turning point) in German foreign policy in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The seminar, organised by the GSA, the IASGP and the IParl, will explore the question of whether it is possible to speak of a turning point in German politics beyond foreign policy. Proposals can be submitted until 3 March.

   |   by OK

What role do parliaments, executive actors and citizens play in holding public authorities and agents of public service delivery accountable? This question will be addressed by the panel organised by IParl Fellow Sven T. Siefken and Eckhard Schröter at the 6th International Conference on Public Policy in Toronto, Canada. Paper proposals can still be submitted until 31 January.

   |   by OK

Three panels with IParl participation will take place at the IPSA Conference 2023 in Buenos Aires. Anyone interested in parliamentary party groups (PPGs), second chambers or parliamentarism in conditions of crisis can now apply with their paper. The deadline is 18 January 2023 and we are looking forward to receiving numerous proposals.