Perspective Chapter: New Tendencies in Post-Communist Constitutionalism–The Case of Central and Eastern Europe

This chapter discusses new trends in the constitutionalism of post-communist countries located in Central and Eastern Europe. The political-systemic analysis covers six countries that underwent profound systemic transformation after 1989: Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. These nations moved away, albeit at different speeds, from the model of a socialist state, a shift that was reflected in several key developments: (1) the loss of political power by communist parties; (2) the inclusion of opposition groups in legal, social, and political life (political pluralism); (3) the holding of competitive elections for legislative bodies and local self-government councils; and (4) the process of constitutional change. This last political trend unfolded in several distinct stages. The analysis also considers the practical application of constitutional regulations in political life, as this provides the clearest indication of how a democratic system operates within a given state. The main research question centres on whether it is possible to identify common features in the constitutional processes of Central and Eastern European countries after 1989. A secondary question asks what new trends can be observed in the constitutionalism of the post-communist countries in the region. The analysis employs several research methods characteristic of political science, including historical-descriptive analysis, legal-institutional analysis, the comparative method, and the decision-making method.