Project description
Constitutional roots of authoritarianism in interwar Europe
During the interwar years, democratic governance faced significant challenges. In response to threats to state authority, the liberal regimes of the time considered suspending constitutional norms through emergency powers. After World War One governments increasingly relied on these mechanisms amid political instability, resulting in hybrid systems that occasionally gave rise to outright dictatorship. The ERC-funded STEXEU project will examine the impact of states of exception on democracy in early twentieth-century Europe, focusing on how these exceptional states altered the roles of state and non-state actors in law enforcement. It will analyse Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Czechoslovakia, France, Britain and Greece from 1900 to 1939, shedding light on the constitutional roots of authoritarianism that emerged from liberal regimes.
Objective
STEXEU investigates the impact of states of exception on democracy in early-twentieth century Europe. In the interwar years, and sometimes before, democratic rule came under strain across the continent. In explaining the rise of dictatorship, historians have generally pointed to forces that challenged the rule of law from without, such as fascism and communism. However, when faced with extraordinary challenges to state authority, the fin-de-siècle liberal legal order contemplated the suspension of constitutional norms through states of exception and emergency powers. During and after the First World War, governments became increasingly dependent on these legal instruments in a context of political instability. Their repeated use resulted in hybrid forms combining democratic and authoritarian features and sometimes (though not necessarily) paved the way to open dictatorship. STEXEU examines how the use of states of exception transformed the mentalities, practices, and interactions of state and non-state actors in charge of maintaining law and order. The project assesses eight national case studies: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Czechoslovakia, France, Britain, and Greece, which followed different trajectories in 1900-39 (some remained democratic, others not). Though it draws some cues from legal studies, STEXEU is above all a history project, which will revolutionise the voluminous juridical literature on states of exception by grounding this phenomenon in historical reality through a systematic analysis of primary sources. STEXEU promises to shed new light on the history of democracy and dictatorship, exploring the disregarded constitutional origins of authoritarianism that emerged from the bosom of the liberal regimes themselves. The relevance of this study transcends historiographical environments, enriching fields such as legal studies and political science and connecting with contemporary anxieties such as the rise of illiberal democracies.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- social sciences political sciences government systems democracy
- social sciences law
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1099 085 Lisboa
Portugal
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.