Document Type : Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Law Department, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran

Abstract

European democracies see themselves as defenders of political freedoms including the freedom of all political parties. This, however, does not mean that all parties operate in complete freedom. The law in these regimes identify a phenomenon known as "anti-system parties", whose activities are prohibited. In this paper, we will attempt to answer the following question by studying the legal systems of Spain, Germany and Italy: how is the relationship between freedom of association and the dissolution of anti-system parties characterised in European democracies? Based on a descriptive-analytical and comparative study, it seems that the rational for dissolving anti-system parties is  guaranteeing freedom of association itself; as anti-system parties do not adhere to political pluralism, if they came to power this will lead to the abolition of other parties or the violation of their freedoms. On the other hand, the existence of this strong tool to defend the system entails the risk of abuse by the established order. Therefore, democracies must establish a reasonable balance between freedom of association and the supression of anti-system parties, namely by using the dissolution tool only in exceptional cases and under strict and precise rules.

Keywords

  1. Englsih
  2. A) Books
  3. Bumke, Christian & Vosskuhle, Andreas (2015), German Constitutional Law: Introduction, Cases, and Principles, Oxford, Oxford Univ. Press.
  4. Issacharoff, Samuel (2015), Fragile Democracies. Contested Power in the Era of Constitutional Courts, Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Press.
  5. Sajo, Andras & Uitz, Renata (2017), The Constitution of Freedom: An Introduction to Legal Constitutionalism, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

 

  1. B) Articles
  2. Keren, Michael (2000). “Political Perfectionism and the Anti-System Party”, Party Politics, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp.107-116.
  3. Zulianello, Mattia (2019). “What is an Anti-System Party? Some Clarifications”, Contemporary Italian Politics, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp.192-194.

 

  1. C) Judgments
  2. Bundesverfassungsgericht, 23-10-1952, n. 59.

 

  1. Spanish
  2. A) Libros
  3. Iglesias Bárez, Mercedes (2011), Estructura orgánica y derechos fundamentales en la Constitución española de 1978, Salamanca, Univ. De Salamanca.
  4. Montilla Martos, Jose Antonio (2004), La prohibición de partidos políticos, Almeria, Univ. De Almeria.
  5. Perez-Moneo, Miguel (2007), La disolución de partidos políticos por actividades antidemocráticas, Valladolid, Lex Nova.

 

  1. B) Articulos
  2. Fernandez Segado, Francisco (2004), “Algunas reflexiones sobre la Ley Orgánica 6/2002, de Partidos Políticos, al hilo de su interpretación por el Tribunal Constitucional”, Revista Foro, N. 0, 179-225.

 

  1. C) Sentencias

5.Tribunal Constitucional, 12-3-2003, n. 48.

  1. Tribunal Supremo, 27-3-2003, n. 6-2002 y 7-2002.

 

  1. D) Trabajo Fin de Grado
  2. Gomá Garcés, Lucia (2018). “Ilegalización y disolución judicial de partidos políticos y su aplicabilidad al secesionismo catalán”, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Jurídicas.

 

  1. Italian
  2. A) Libri
  3. Caprara, Mario & Semprini, Gianluca (2007). Destra estrema e criminale, Roma, New Compton.
  4. Di Gregorio, Angela (2012). Epurazioni e protezione della democrazia, Milano, Angeli.
  5. Martines, Temistocle, &Ventura, Luigi (2009). Diritto pubblico, Milano, Giuffré.
  6. Panizza, Saulle & Stradella, Elettra (2013),Diritto pubblico, Rimini, Maggioli.
  7. Roberti, Gianni (1988), L'opposizione di destra in Italia, Napoli, Gallina.

 

  1. B) Articoli
  2. Bonfiglio, Salvatore (2005),“La disciplina giuridica dei partiti e la qualità della democrazia”, Nomos, N. 3, 16-35.
  3. Buratti, Andrea (2003), “La condotta antidemocratica dei partiti politici come illecito costituzionale”, Diritto pubblico comparato ed europeo, N. 2, 875-879.
  4. Fede, Fabio & Testa Bappenheim, Stefano (2014), “Lo scioglimento dei Partiti antisistema in un’ottica comparata”, Studi urbinati, V. 65, N. 4, 487-530.
  5. Gianfrancesco, Eduardo (2017), “I partiti politici e l’articolo 49 della Costituzione”, Quaderni costituzionali, N. 1, 1-23.
  6. Maestri, Gabriele (2019), “Paura dei partiti antisistema e scelte sulla “protezione” della democrazia, tra Italia e Germania”, Democrazia e sicurezza, N. 2, 1-109.

11.Nicotra, Ida (2002), “La nuova legge organica sui partiti politici in Spagna al primo banco di prova: il procedimento di "illegalizzazione" del Batasuna”, Quaderni costituzionali, N. 1, 1-5.

  1. Vigevani, Giulio Enea (2019). “Origine e attualità del dibattito sulla XII disposizione finale della Costituzione: i limiti della tutela della democrazia”, Diritto dei media, N. 1, 1-17.

 

  1. C) Tesi
  2. Battisti, Edoardo (2007),“Difesa della democrazia e diritto di associazione politica. Un banco di prova per la democrazia pluralista”, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Dottorato di ricerca in diritto costituzionale.

 

References in Persian:

  1. A) Books
  2. Amid Zanjani, Abbasali (2012),Comparative Constitutional Law, Western and Islamic Countries Constitutional Law, Tehran: Mizan (In Persian).
  3. Ghazi Shariatpanahi, Abolfazl (2016), Principles of Constitutional Law, Tehran: Mizan (In Persian).

 

  1. B) Articles
  2. Abbasi, Bizhan & Ebadi Bashir, Maqsud (2017), “Legal Basis of Party Subsidies”, Public Law Studies Quarterly, Vol. 47, Issue 1, pp.27-50 (In Persian).
  3. Ebadi Bashir, Maqsud (2020), “Legal Measures to Ensure the Financial Health of Political Parties”, Public Law Studies Quarterly, Vol. 49, Issue 4, pp.1211-1228 (In Persian).
  4. Mazhari, Mohammad; Ghasemi, Arian & Jangjui, Farzad (2018), “Limitations of Freedom of Parties: A Comparative Study of Iranian and French Constitutions”, Medical Law Journal, Vol. 12, No. 46, pp.35-67 (In Persian).