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The Basic Law at 60 – From 1949 to 2009: The Basic Law and Supranational Integration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2019

Juliane Kokott

Extract

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Sixty years after the entry into force of the Basic Law the world is much more interdependent. The concepts of statehood and sovereignty have changed. The following contribution examines how the Basic Law, as amended and interpreted by the Federal Constitutional Court, deals with this development. As a foundational matter, the Basic Law contains a commitment towards integration, although sixty years ago integration largely was seen as a promise. Now, 60 years later, the Federal Constitutional Court is developing limits to integration and recently ruled out Germany's participation in a European Federal State and sees itself as the guardian of German sovereignty. A change of paradigms seems to have taken place. For the founding fathers and mothers, a united—possibly even federal—Europe was considered to be the solution to protect against war and relapse towards an undemocratic, terroristic regime. But now the Federal Constitutional Court feels compelled to protect democracy and the core values of the Basic Law against “too much” European integration.

Information

Type
Special Issue: The Basic Law at 60
Information
German Law Journal , Volume 11 , Issue 1: Special issue - The Basic Law at 60 , 01 January 2010, pp. 99 - 114
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by German Law Journal GbR 

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