Sfera Politicii (Dec 2012)
Constructing the Form of Government through Discourse in 2003 and 2009. The Semi-presidential Republic in the Romanian Constitution
Abstract
While, analytically, the character of the Romanian regime is sui generis and the consensus is absent, disputes and instability are the rule of political practice in the existing constitutional design. The article proposes a constructivist perspective of discursive institutionalism. It examines how political actors themselves have characterized the Romanian form of government in order to find equilibrium in the political system. The analyzed material originates in the 2003 debate on the revision of the Constitution and the 2009 speech the President gave on a proposed future revision. The conclusion shows a consistent position of parties, according to their genesis and their ability to propose a presidential personality. Also, the poor quality of the debates can be considered an indication of the inability to resolve disputes that may be anticipated and therefore a „chronicle of crises foretold”.
