Lanjuinais e la storia costituzionale. Tra testimonianza e formalizzazione

Abstract

Jean Denis Lanjuinais was the only one among the constituents of 1789 to have served in the representative assemblies of all subsequent constitutional regimes until his death in 1827. The essay presents some passages from his constituent activity. It then illustrates his reflection on French constitutional history. He is indeed among the first to formalize a constitutional history, pivoting on the Charte. Emerging in a comparative framework with Britain, Spain and Naples is the idea, projected toward Orleanism, of a “bonne distribution des pouvoirs”. This requires bicameralism as well as loyal cooperation between the Chambers and the sovereign. These are the roots of the dualist parliamentarianism that characterizes nineteenth-century Europe.

Keywords

• constitutionalism
• bicameralism
• french revolution
• cadiz constitution
• charte