Egresi, Katalin
“Landscape After Battle” – On the Margins of the Hungarian Public Education Act
Public education; teachers’ rights; right to strike; educational autonomy; LGBTQ content; constitutional rights
Protests by teachers' and students' NGOs and civil disobedience movements have drawn attention to the fundamental deficiencies of the Hungarian public education system. The controversial so-called „Status Law”, which provoked intense debates, redefined the careers of teachers (called national career path model - see below) and the whole organisation of public educational system. The most significant dilemma of the legislation act is how to interpret the constitutional right to education and the autonomy of public education. In answering this question, it is necessary to point out the government's intention and the wide social/political debate that also emerged behind the government decree on child protection and has resulted in the exclusion of LMBTQ-themed learning materials from school textbooks. The latter has led to the need to wrap LGBTQ books in the youth literature section of bookshops. Why and how have education and child protection issues become politicised and ideologised in Hungary?
EGRESI, KATALIN
Role of the Holy Crown Doctrine and “Historical Constitution” in the Hungarian Constitutionalism
Holy Crown Doctrine; historical constitution; Hungarian constitutionalism; constitutional continuity; Fundamental Law; national identity
The article examines the historical development of the Holy Crown Doctrine and the concept of Hungary’s historical constitution. It analyses their influence on Hungarian theories of the state and their renewed constitutional significance in the National Avowal of the Fundamental Law.
EGRESI, KATALIN
The Legacy of Modern European Constitutionalism: The Concept of Rule of Law and...
Constitution, legality, legitimacy, democracy, rule of law, constitutionalism, crisis, constitutional degradation, liberal principles
Modern constitutionalism emerged at the end of the 18th century in the context of the American and French revolutions. It later took root in other countries and, by the end of the 20th century, had gained universal recognition. Constitutionalism has recently evolved within democratic political systems; therefore, the concept of constitutionalism appears closely linked to democracy and the rule of law. To understand constitutional crises, it is first necessary to clarify the meaning of constitutionalism.
EGRESI, KATALIN
The challenges of sustainability in the decision-making mechanism of democratic states
Paradigm shift, natural contract, social activism, participatory democracy
The problem of sustainability is one of the most important and pressing problems of the modern state. Although the history of the so-called green movement that is linked to the emergence of industrial society in the modern age, (to industrialism), in its contemporary form it is existing also a social movement, a political ideology – see, among others, green parties – and a state (international) obligation. What distinguishes the recent green movements today from the earlier conservation movement is its emphasis on science and research. The main aim of this study is to examine how democratic – above all, the participatory and deliberative democracies – political systems are dealing with the new challenges of sustainability and how they are finding political solutions to the demands of civil society. In parallel, the interdependence between social activism, democratic policy decision-making and international cooperation is worth considering, as coordination between sub-state and supra-state actors is needed to address sustainability.
EGRESI, KATALIN
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