Das Bundesverfassungsgericht als Parteifachgericht: Die wahlrechtliche Nichtanerkennungsbeschwerde sorgt für viel Unterhaltung und ein wenig Rechtsschutz

Der 23. Juli war ein guter Tag in der Rintheimer Querallee 11 in Karlsruhe. Gleich zwölf Verfahren konnte der zweite Senat des Bundesverfassungsgerichts als erledigt auf die Seite legen. Zugleich konnte das Gericht die Premiere eines neuen verfassungsprozessualen Instituts feiern: die Nichtanerkennungsbeschwerde nach § 18 Abs. 4a BWahlG, der „lex Sonneborn“. Das Verfahren wurde relevant, nachdem der Bundeswahlausschuss in seiner Sitzung vom 4. Juli den Daumen über eine ganze Reihe hoffnungsvoller Kleinstparteien und Bundestagswahl-Aspiranten gesenkt hatte. Ihnen hatte der Gesetzgeber im Juli 2012 Remedur durch das neue Verfahren verschafft, mit dem erstmals Rechtsschutz gegen die Nichtzulassung einer Partei zur Wahl vor der Wahl möglich wurde. Was war geschehen

Cheapest Is dearest, though far from professional: A qualitative study on the use of social media during the Federal Election 2021 in Germany

Like in other areas, the importance of social media in the German political communication landscape has rapidly grown in recent years. The purpose of this study is to examine how the communication professionals of the different parties of the German Bundestag describe and characterize the role of social media in their political communication, especially in the last federal election in 2021. This research fills a critical gap by investigating 13 semiopen qualitative interviews with both political and strategic officials of the eight parties represented in the German Bundestag. By doing so, it provides insights into current and future social media practices and their level of professionalization in the German political sphere. Both the sample and focus of this study are, to our knowledge, unique in their nature. The results indicate that, while social media is seen as one of the most important channels to both inform and communicate with potential voters, the professionalization in the field seems to be on a relatively low level. Namely, both strategic and political professionals criticize a lack of human, time, and financial resources. Therefore, the parties lack behind in their practices, particularly considering the newest trends and possibilities of social media like big data, algorithms, or monitoring practices. These results suggest that previous assumptions regarding social media as a cheap and resource-efficient practice are outdated. However, the communicators voice future efforts to catch up on these topics. Further research is needed to investigate how the parties meet these intents

Die Verfassung der Berliner Republik: Verfassungsrecht und Verfassungsrechtswissenschaft in zeitgeschichtlicher Perspektive

Contemporary constitutional history faces a methodological dilemma: Historiography traditionally calls for scientific dissociation, both temporal and individual, from its objects of research. Yet, changes in constitutional normativity are typically of an incremental nature and can best be studied through a close approach of the contemporaries. Given such a dilemma, this essay undertakes to analyze key features of constitutional law and science of the »Berlin Republic«. Its main thesis is that contemporary constitutional history in Germany can be seen as a »farewell to the interim«, which the »Bonn Republic« can be construed to have been. Several leitmotifs can be identified: The concept of constitutional identity gains attention and influences the discourses implicitly and explicitly. Among them are debates about the scope of constitutional rights (human dignity, freedom of speech) as well as about the structure of the democratic and federal polity. Simultaneously, social change gives rise to fundamental constitutional questions such as religious pluralism or same-sex marriage. At the same time, the science of German public law, both within the dimensions of constitutional and administrative law, undergoes a profound process of self-ascertainment. This process brings about a renaissance of fundamental research in the fields of constitutionalism and theory of state

Blick zurück nach vorn

Rezension von: Jeannie Drohla, Aufarbeitung versus Allgemeines Persönlichkeitsrecht – §§ 32, 34 Stasi-Unterlagen- Gesetz (Schriften zum öffentlichen Recht 1185), Berlin: Duncker & Humblot 2011, 430 S., ISBN 3-428-13199-