New Challenges to Constitutional Adjudication in Europe ― A Comparative Perspective

In the past few years, constitutional courts have been presented with new challenges. The world financial crisis, the new wave of terrorism, mass migration and other country-specific problems have had wide-ranging effects on the old and embedded constitutional standards and judicial constructions. This book examines how, if at all, these unprecedented social, economic and political problems have affected constitutional review in Europe. As the courts’ response must conform with EU law and in some cases international law, analysis extends to the related jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. The collection adopts a common analytical structure to examine how the relevant challenges have been addressed in ten country specific case studies. Alongside these, constitutional experts frame the research within the theoretical understanding of the constitutional difficulties of the day in Europe. Finally, a comparative chapter examines the effects of multilevel constitutionalism, and identifies general European trends.

This book will be essential reading for academics and researchers working in the areas of constitutional law, comparative law, and jurisprudence.

Professor Zoltan Szente, Research Chair, Institute for Legal Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Professor of Constitutional Law, National University of Public Service, Budapest, Hungary.

Fruzsina Gardos-Orosz, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Legal Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Associate Professor, National University of Public Service, Budapest, Hungary.