We were happy to start a new monthly tradition of RGSL Lunchtime seminars arranged by our Rector Dr. Adam Czarnota on 27 September, where our faculty presents their current research projects to the colleagues – faculty and staff of Riga Graduate School of Law.
The first speaker was RGSL Visiting Lecturer Dr. Filip Cyuńczyk, who presented his research project “The specificity of Central European constitutionalism: law and memory”. The main objective of this presentation was to introduce a phenomenon characteristic of post-Communist constitutionalisation in Central Europe - the use of memory narratives to legitimise new political communities.
The main hypothesis is based on the claim that the recourse to communitarian values, especially national memory, had - still has - a significant impact on local interpretations of the constitutive components of liberal democracy, e.g. the rule of law.
Dr. Cyunczyk’s presentation was divided in three main parts:
1) a historical outline - both of the formation of collective social memories in the region and their subsequent institutionalisation;
2) the Central European tendency to use memory narratives at the moment of constitutionalisation after the communism and later;
3) finally, areas of influence of memory narratives on the social, political and legal reality of Central European countries will be identified.
Many thanks to Dr. Cyunczyk for his presentation, and Dr. Czarnota for organizing this event.