Max Steuer
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View article: Sovereignty to the Leader
Sovereignty to the Leader Open
The European Union gives rise to competing claims regarding the nature of sovereignty and democracy. While some view European integration as a source of non-democratic domination against sovereignty, others see sovereignty and democracy…
View article: No Skyfall
No Skyfall Open
On 26 September 2025, the Slovak parliament adopted the 23rd amendment to the Constitution, introducing an explicit “national identity” clause and a series of provisions presented as measures to “protect the family”. The Venice Commission …
View article: Rule of Law Minimalism and the Fear of ‘Politics’: The Slovak Constitutional Court amidst the Illiberal Surge
Rule of Law Minimalism and the Fear of ‘Politics’: The Slovak Constitutional Court amidst the Illiberal Surge Open
After the defeat of the semi-authoritarian majority in 1998, Slovakia seemed to move towards a fragile, aspirational consensus on the significance of the rule of law. Since the victory of illiberal parties in the 2023 elections, constituti…
View article: Hijacking Democracy: Proposals on the Future of the European Union in Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia (2015–2022)
Hijacking Democracy: Proposals on the Future of the European Union in Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia (2015–2022) Open
EU integration has opened new controversies in making sense of democracy. This article studies how discourses on democracy in EU integration open spaces to hijack the concept of democracy, using a novel empirical dataset on proposals for r…
View article: Haunted by Text
Haunted by Text Open
Slovak PM Fico renewed his attempts to amend Slovakia’s Constitution. The most controversial provisions are a “national identity safeguard” limiting the effect of international and supranational law, and a definition of sex as strictly bin…
View article: The Consequences of COVID-19 Emergency Risk Mismanagement: The Rise of Anti-Evidence Decision Making in Slovakia
The Consequences of COVID-19 Emergency Risk Mismanagement: The Rise of Anti-Evidence Decision Making in Slovakia Open
This article contributes to understanding how inexperience and lack of commitment to evidence-based decision making may undermine an otherwise broadly functional framework for constitutional risk management. As part of a focus on the “Vise…
View article: Courting constitutional crises: crisis mitigation by constitutional courts as democratic institutions
Courting constitutional crises: crisis mitigation by constitutional courts as democratic institutions Open
Constitutional crises are typically considered as among the most profound crisis type, shaking political regime foundations and posing a challenge for democratic futures. This article critically engages with the concept of ‘constitutional …
View article: The ‘will of the People’ as means for pressuring the rule of law?
The ‘will of the People’ as means for pressuring the rule of law? Open
Disputes pertaining to elections and referenda are most visibly associated with the power of the sovereign People, whereas constitutional courts are typically seen as countermajoritarian institutions. Abuse of elections and referenda by il…
View article: The Resilience of Constitutional Courts and Their Resistance to Autocratization: Beyond Binaries, Where Time Matters 
The Resilience of Constitutional Courts and Their Resistance to Autocratization: Beyond Binaries, Where Time Matters Open
View article: Reductionism and Holism in European Union 'Value Talk': The Case of the Conference on the Future of Europe
Reductionism and Holism in European Union 'Value Talk': The Case of the Conference on the Future of Europe Open
View article: Towards understanding constitutional court resilience vis-à-vis autocratization
Towards understanding constitutional court resilience vis-à-vis autocratization Open
Attitudinal and strategic models prevail in studying the capacities of centralized constitutional courts (CCs) to withstand autocratization. Yet, these models rarely scrutinize CCs’ interpretations of political concepts. This article aims …
View article: Heyday of Autocratic Legalism in Slovakia
Heyday of Autocratic Legalism in Slovakia Open
Slovakia’s parliament approved an amendment to its criminal code and associated legislation that, if it comes into effect, will significantly reduce the prescription periods for various crimes including rape, the penalties for others, and …
View article: Cultural expertise, <i>hate speech</i> , and the far right: the Slovak <i>Mazurek</i> case
Cultural expertise, <i>hate speech</i> , and the far right: the Slovak <i>Mazurek</i> case Open
This article offers a case study of Slovakia focusing on the Mazurek case, the first criminal conviction of an incumbent Slovak far-right MP of hate speech. My explorative analysis uses data from my work as expert appointed by the investig…
View article: Massive open online learning for democracy in political science: Learners’ reactions to connectivist elements
Massive open online learning for democracy in political science: Learners’ reactions to connectivist elements Open
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), praised for their global scale and open-access elements, are commonly associated with several challenges. These include unequal access, limited interactivity, or insufficient learner background and skil…
View article: States of Emergency and Human Rights Protection
States of Emergency and Human Rights Protection Open
View article: States of emergency and fundamental rights in books and in action
States of emergency and fundamental rights in books and in action Open
Why a volume on the states of emergency in the Visegrad Four countries from the vantage point of fundamental rights? The introductory chapter identifies the gap in existing scholarship on emergencies pertaining to Czech Republic, Hungary, …
View article: The rise of cultural expertise in litigation
The rise of cultural expertise in litigation Open
View article: There and back again? Law, culture, and scholarly publishing
There and back again? Law, culture, and scholarly publishing Open
The Power of Free: In Search of Democratic Academic Publishing Strategies' (2022) 61(2) Trabalhos em Linguística Aplicada 337.While this appears most peculiar for journals which are not a result of a partnership between an academic institu…
View article: To Hell, on a White Horse
To Hell, on a White Horse Open
Slovakia voted on the final day of September 2023. The electoral rhetoric, results and subsequent coalition-building give grounds to expect illiberal constitutional changes. More attention is needed towards the Constitutional Court’s capac…
View article: Democracy, Procedural and Social Rights, and Constitutional Courts in Hungary and Slovakia
Democracy, Procedural and Social Rights, and Constitutional Courts in Hungary and Slovakia Open
In democracies, individuals are free to develop their own conceptions of values, and try to persuade others of their viability. However, some of these conceptions carry greater weight than others. In particular, centralized constitutional …
View article: Cultural Expertise and Extreme Speech
Cultural Expertise and Extreme Speech Open
This chapter allows you to learn (1) why extreme speech cases benefit from cultural expertise and yet why it may be particularly challenging for experts to be involved in them, (2) what strategies can be employed by different stakeholders,…
View article: Referee report. For: Expectations and human rights protection: the case of Vietnam during COVID-19 [version 1; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]
Referee report. For: Expectations and human rights protection: the case of Vietnam during COVID-19 [version 1; peer review: 2 approved with reservations] Open
View article: From Minimalism to the Substantive Core and Back: The Slovak Constitutional Court and (the Lack of) Constitutional Identity
From Minimalism to the Substantive Core and Back: The Slovak Constitutional Court and (the Lack of) Constitutional Identity Open
9 See manifesto of Ordinary People and Independent Personalities, political party led by former PM Matovi č .Oby č ajn í ľ udia a nez á visl é osobnosti, ' Ú primne, odv á ž ne pre ľ ud í ' www.obycajniludia.sk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/O…
View article: The Extreme Right as a Defender of Human Rights? Parliamentary Debates on COVID-19 Emergency Legislation in Slovakia
The Extreme Right as a Defender of Human Rights? Parliamentary Debates on COVID-19 Emergency Legislation in Slovakia Open
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the protection of public health became a political priority worldwide. Slovakia’s COVID-19 response was initially praised as a global success. However, major rights restrictions were introduced in spring 2020,…
View article: Roots of the EU Tree
Roots of the EU Tree Open
View article: Neglected Actors at the Conference on the Future of Europe
Neglected Actors at the Conference on the Future of Europe Open
Judges are prominent actors with a significant impact on European integration. Yet, no references to them appear in the Joint Declaration on the Conference on the Future of Europe. This corresponds to a view, unsustainable in the age of ex…
View article: Editorial Note
Editorial Note Open
This Editorial Note, marking the 20th anniversary of the publication of the first issue of the journal, introduces the results of the 2021 IAPSS Politikon Best Article Award. It furthermore discusses the results of selected performance ind…
View article: Slovakia’s Democracy and the COVID-19 Pandemic: When Executive Communication Fails
Slovakia’s Democracy and the COVID-19 Pandemic: When Executive Communication Fails Open
In spring 2020, Slovakia was praised for minimizing the instances of the COVID-19 pandemic. By early 2021, however, with Slovakia among the top five countries with the highest increase of COVID-19-induced death cases, a very different pict…
View article: Editorial Note
Editorial Note Open
This Editorial Note contains a summary of the IAPSS Politikon webinar on 'Research and Education in Times of Pandemic' that focused on elucidation of online qualitative data collection methods and online education via using Massive Open On…
View article: Militant Democracy on the Rise: Consequences of Legal Restrictions on Extreme Speech in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary
Militant Democracy on the Rise: Consequences of Legal Restrictions on Extreme Speech in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary Open
The political discourse on regulation of extreme speech in Central Europe has shifted in favor of militant democracy, an approach which supports enhanced criminal law restrictions on speech. Developing the conceptual framework of the conse…