Felix Meritis - Agenda - Night of the Constitutional State

Friday November 19 2010 / Citizenship

Night of the Constitutional State

Linda Bouws, Director Felix Meritis

Ernst Hirsch Ballin receives the first copy of Long live the constitutional state!

Paul Cliteur
Pictures: Rebke Klokke

During the Night of the Constitutional State writers, journalists, politicians and jurists debated with each other and the audience on their visions of the future of our society. An event with debates, lectures and a festive book presentation.

The composition of Dutch society has changed rapidly over the past decades. New generations of migrants are confronted with a society that aims at pluriform cosmopolitan values, but that at the same time has difficulties with its relatively recent role as a migration society.

The constitutional state as a cohesive and binding principle in Dutch society is at the focus of attention. How can we guarantee and protect the diversity of a population which has highly diverse fundamental convictions and lifestyles? Where does freedom of expression run up against its limits? What links us citizens with one another? The importance of the constitutional state is growing more and more in our current society. The shared norms on which the constitutional state is based offer us a beacon at times of uncertainty. The constitutional state enables and protects pluriformity.

During the Night of the Constitutional State we examined, investigated and discussed from three perspectives: Integration, Religion and Media. How can the constitutional state guarantee pluriformity within our society? How should the media relate to the democratic constitutional state? How can social involvement and political participation, which are essential for the functioning of the constitutional state, be promoted and safeguarded? How can we formulate a vision of the constitutional state that can actually work as a cohesive bond for our society?

Speakers included: Paul Cliteur, Ernst Hirsch Ballin, Beatrice de Graaf, Frank Ankersmit, Harry Borghouts, Rein Zunderdorp, Willem Schinkel, Pieter Klein, Sywert van Lienden, Andrée van Es, Hans Goslinga, Sjoerd de Jong, Markha Valenta, Gerben Kor, Marilyn Haimé and Sadik Harchaoui.

Moderators: Charles Groenhuijsen, Felix Rottenberg and Xandra Schutte.

Long live the constitutional state!
During the Night the first copy of the essay collection Long live the constitutional state! was presented to Ernst Hirsch Ballin.
Journalists, opinion-makers, writers and academics have contributed to reflection on the constitutional state in the 21st century from a variety of perspectives. They include: Frank Ankersmit, Thierry Baudet, Thomas Blondeau, Paul Cliteur, Peter Giesen, Beatrice de Graaf, Hans Goslinga, Bas Heijne, Fouad Laroui, Peter Rehwinkel and Manon Uphoff.

And more...
As a prelude to the Night of the Constitutional State, the internationally acclaimed political scientist Chantal Mouffe, who is a professor at the University of Westminster, delivered a lecture on October 1 in which she attacked the present liberal consensus democracy and emphasized the importance of a multi-faceted and open political struggle. For more information click here.

Organised by Felix Meritis, European Centre for Arts, Culture and Sciences and FORUM, Institute for Multicultural Affairs.

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