The myth
"The Constitution doesn't work anyway. It doesn't matter what's written in it – in practice, officials decide everything."
The facts
The Constitution is not a magic button. It works through specific mechanisms:
- Constitutional Court (CC) – reviews laws for compliance with the Constitution. If a law contradicts it, the Court strikes it down. Since 2023, the CC has accepted dozens of applications from ordinary citizens and found certain provisions unconstitutional. Applications are free and submitted via eGov.
- Courts of general jurisdiction – apply constitutional provisions directly in specific cases
- Prosecutor's Office – supervises compliance with the law
- Ombudsman – considers complaints about the actions of state bodies
A concrete example: a law found unconstitutional by the CC loses its force – not just for one person but for everyone. That is a direct change to the legal landscape, not a "recommendation."
Why it seems not to work
Three reasons:
- People do not use the tools. Many do not know that an application to the CC is free and does not require a lawyer
- Media do not cover CC decisions – they do not make headlines the way scandals do
- Results are not immediate. The legal system works slowly – but systematically. Each CC decision creates a precedent
An analogy
Saying "the Constitution doesn't work" is like saying "medicine doesn't work" without ever seeing a doctor. The tool works when people use it.
Why this myth exists
Years during which constitutional mechanisms were weak – when there was a Constitutional Council rather than a Court, with limited citizen access – created a sense of futility. The Constitutional Court was restored in 2023 and began operating. But trust recovers more slowly than institutions do.