Description

According to the so-called eternity clause of the German Constitution (article 79(3)) the protection of the human dignity and the fundamental state structural principles of article 20 of the German Constitution shall not be abolished by any parliamentarian majority. The correct definition of the content of this protected identity of the Constitution can only be realised if the mentioned state structural principles are understood as a clarification of the guarantor's position of the state which is committed to respect and to protect the human's dignity in accordance with article 1 (1) of the German Constitution. In addition, the interpretation of article 79(3) of the German Constitution has to consider the particular historicity which results from the character of this regulation as an expression of the constitutional power of the German people. However, the defined constitutional identity of the Constitution is permanently challenged as demonstrated in the appendix. For this reason, Albert Janssen concludes his thoughts with several reform proposals for the Constitution.