European Centre for Art, Culture and Science

Night of the Constitutional State

The Night of the Constitutional State, on 25 November 2011, is an initiative of FORUM and Felix Meritis.

Writers, journalists, politicians, jurists and the audience debated about the future of our constitutional state. The second edition of the Night of the Constitutional State took place on Friday 25th of November, 2011. Please click in the column on the right for more information.

 
 Linda Bouws, director Felix Meritis 

 
Paul Cliteur 
Pictures: Rebke Klokke

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Night of the constutional state 2010
During the succesful first edition of the Night of the Constitutional State (2010) 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 bookpresentation.

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 writers, journalists, politicians and citizens spoke about the future of the constitutional state. The constitutional state was 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, Markha Valenta, Sjoerd de Jong, Gerben Kor, Marily Haimé and Sadik Harchaoui.

Moderators: Charles Groenhuijsen, Felix Rottenberg and Xandra Schutte.

During the Night of the Constitutional State a collection of essays was presented;  Long live the constitutional state!, in which journalists, opinion-makers, writers and academics have contributed to reflection on the constitutional state in the 21^st 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.

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

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Night of the Constitutional State - 19 November 2010