About: constitutional reform

Strong state power – the case of Kazakhstan

From the early stage of its post-Soviet transition, Kazakhstan has consolidated strong state power to avoid chaos. Today, as the country is considered successful at home and internationally, this centralisation is being reduced and tribute is being paid to the one person who steered the country during the last 30 years.

Europe on the agenda of France’s constitutional reform

France’s constitutional reform would allow for a more European dimension in French parliamentary work.  EURACTIV.fr reports.

Polish president vetoes controversial court reforms

Poland's president on Monday (24 July) vetoed controversial judicial reforms that had prompted huge street protests and threats of unprecedented EU sanctions.

Candlelight protest against changes to Poland’s judiciary

Thousands of demonstrators bearing candles marched on the Polish Supreme Court on Sunday (23 July) in protest against controversial proposed judicial reforms.

Breaking up the UK

Brexit has thrown into question the future trajectory of the UK, and the Conservative government is in the driving seat. A second referendum is potentially a necessary intervention to push back against the reactionary forces mobilised by the Leave camp, argues Josh White.

Aliyev says Azerbaijan stronger after referendum

The President of Azerbaijan said his country has never been stronger, more free and independent, in a speech following a referendum on constitutional reform held on Monday (26 September) and backed by over 91% of the population.

Renzi concedes he made a ‘mistake’ to personalise Italy’s constitutional referendum

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on Tuesday (9 August) it had been a mistake to personalise a referendum, due to be held later this year, in which he originally promised to resign if he failed to convince voters to support the need for constitutional change.

Syriza vows to abolish lawmakers’ immunity, hold more referendums

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras yesterday (25 July) called for the abolition of parliamentary immunity for lawmakers and for more referendums to boost direct democracy.

PKK and HDP targeted after Istanbul terrorist attack

Police have detained four suspects over an Istanbul car bombing that targeted a police bus yesterday (7 June), killing 11 people in the third deadly attack to strike Turkey's biggest city this year.

Juncker encourages Poroshenko to continue reforms

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed strong support for his guest, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who arrived in Brussels on Thursday (27 August), encouraging him to continue reforms and fully implement the Minsk agreement.

EU must speak up to thwart Thailand’s backdoor dictatorship

General Prayuth Chan-ocha’s military coup in May 2014 quite rightly sparked deep concerns in Brussels. To its credit, the European Union acted swiftly with punitive measures, but the junta’s latest attempts at constitutional reform pose a long-term threat that must be addressed, argues Aron Shaviv. 

Parliament wants tougher funding rules for EU political parties

The EU Parliament has put new rules in the pipeline on Tuesday (18 March) aimed at increasing funding transparency of pan-European political parties. The rules bar parties from receiving funding if they don’t respect EU values.

The state of the Union’s democratic process

The European Commission's democratic legitimacy is still an important issue that should be thoroughly analysed in a future revision of the treaties, writes Paulo Rangel.

What role for national parliaments in EU law making?

The Lisbon Treaty entrusted national parliaments with new tools to hold their governments accountable for decisions taken at the European level. The fact that some national parliaments do very little to use these tools, shows a true “democratic deficit”, Richard Corbett writes.

Füle laments Bosnia’s lack of progress

Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle told the representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo yesterday (27 November) that they have not been able to honour their main commitments for the country’s progress towards EU integration.  

Turkey takes step towards presidential rule

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an took a step towards extending his powers today (6 November) after his ruling AK Party presented to parliament a proposal to set up a presidential system.

Council of Europe advisor: Reform in Arab Spring states will take time

The Council of Europe has unveiled a three-year, €4.8-million initiative aimed at strengthening democracy and human rights in the southern Mediterranean. The project by the continent’s oldest political body will attempt to assist Morocco and Tunisia in their post-Arab Spring democratic transition, by offering its experience and expertise, gleaned from over 60 years driving political reform in Europe, Pilar Morales told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

Hungary under Orbán: Consolidation of power

The manoeuvres of Hungarian ruling party Fidesz regarding the institutions' reconstruction have fuelled strong controversy but it's unlikely to bring any changes strong enough to challenge Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, says Andrej Sadecki of the Centre for Eastern Studies in Warsaw.

Grassroots leader: Turkish citizens want visa-free EU travel

Turkish citizens derive much stress and frustration from the fact that they can only visit the EU with a visa, which is difficult to obtain and applications are sometimes refused, Murat Dinç, a local youth leader for Turkey's main opposition party CHP, told EURACTIV in an interview.

Turkish parties lock horns ahead of referendum

The Turkish government avoided early elections yesterday (7 July) when judges approved its proposed constitutional reforms. However, the changes will need to be approved in a referendum, with the main opposition party already campaigning against them. EURACTIV Turkey contributed to this article.

New opposition leader brings excitement to Turkish politics

The election of Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu as leader of the main Turkish opposition CHP party was heralded by the press as a potential earthquake in the country’s politics. EURACTIV Turkey contributed to this article.