Europeanisation of Constitutional Law in the Czech Republic (Selected Problems)

Česká republika přistoupila k Evropské unii 1. května 2004 na základě Smlouvy o přistoupení k Evropské unii (č. 44/2004 Sb.m.s.) podepsané v Aténách 16. dubna 2003. S přistoupením byl vyjádřen souhlas v referendu konaném ve dnech 13. a 14. června 2003 (blíže sub 2.3). Význam tohoto aktu spočíval nejen v začlenění ČR do systému hospodářských a politických vztahů s dalšími členskými státy v Evropě, a to v novém institucionálním a právním kontextu. Významně se projevil i uvnitř státu, kde se změnila pozice jednotlivých státních orgánů, jejich vzájemné vztahy a kompetence, což byl nepřímý předmět rozhodování občanů. Došlo rovněž k tiché změně řady ustanovení Ústavy ČR a Listiny základních práv a svobod („LPS“), aniž se změnil jejich text. Rovněž tak se změnilo postavení Ústavního soudu, kde došlo jednak k novelizaci právní úpravy jeho postavení již s předstihem v roce 2001 a 2002, jednak se výrazně rozšířil okruh problémů, kterými se musel ve své činnosti zabývat. Ústavní soud se tak dostal do nového právního prostředí (tzv. „Verfassungsverbund“ – viz níže) a musel začít řešit nové problémy a hledat pro ně základní stanoviska. V tomto příspěvku sleduji jen ty z nich, které jsou spjaty s pojmem „evropeizace“.The author examines some important issues of europeanisation in the field of the Czech constitutional law. That notion originally meant taking over typical European ways of conduct and regulation of social relationships following the unique experience of the common base of values by countries outside Europe itself. At present, it is a specific phenomenon usually spoken about in connection with integration processes taking place on the European continent within the framework of the EU. Gradually, a usual pattern of solving problems is then created – politicians come with new ideas that are taken up by political scientists who begin to develop and process them systematically. Finally, lawyers come into play and select from the mass of opinions what is suitable and give it a legal form which politicians subsequently implement into the law. The author emphasizes that Europeanisation is not pushed forward only by the EU as it is usually claimed. It is confusing because in the area of public law, democracy, law-abiding state and human rights there was a historical role of the Council of Europe and its basic documents. Despite the efforts to push this key regional organization in the shade, its goals remain the starting point of the original “Europeanisation” in the proper sense of the word. In consequence the author deals with such problems of Europeanisation as: 1) new definition of the relationship between the municipal and international law due to the changes made in the Constitution of the Czech Republic in 2001 and the issue of sovereignty, 2) the problem of separation of powers and mutual relationships among particular bodies of the state from the viewpoint of the representation of the interests of the Czech Republic in EU bodies, 3) Europeanisation and its consequences linked with the development of a number of institutes of direct and representative democracy, 4) accessory citizenship of the EU gained by the citizens of the Czech Republic and related new rights (elections, residence, petitions, diplomatic protection, protection against discrimination), 5) the new constitutional regulation of the status of citizens of other member states has been changed, too, without a need to change the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, 6) the so-called democratic deficit of the EU that also influenced direct changes of the rules of order of both chambers of the Parliament in 2004 and 2009, 7) with respect to the parliamentary system of government he makes reference to the fact that in the Czech Republic no major tension arose between the government and the president as far as the representing of the Czech Republic in EU bodies is concerned (unlike e.g. in Poland), 8) due to the general incorporatin of international treaties into the legal order of the Czech Republic its courts are directly bound in their deciding not only by law but also by these international treaties, 9) another line is an interpretation of the law of the Czech Republic where comparative approaches have been gaining steadily increasing importance. In the end the author examines the most important decisions of the Czech Constitutional Court concerning the Czech membership in the EU and the Council of Europe