Abstract
The introductory article first proposes a definition of the state of exception. A purely legal perspective proves to be insufficient. On the contrary, it is necessary, especially in analytical terms, to consider discursive and practical elements in order to adequately grasp the state of exception. In addition, it introduces the contributions of this volume.
Zusammenfassung
Der einleitende Beitrag schlägt zunächst eine Begriffsbestimmung des Ausnahmezustandes vor. Eine rein rechtswissenschaftliche Perspektive erweist sich dabei als nicht ausreichend. Vielmehr bedarf es, gerade auch in analytischer Hinsicht, einer Ergänzung um diskursive wie praktische Elemente, um den Ausnahmezustand angemessen erfassen zu können. Zudem werden die einzelnen Beiträge des Bandes vorgestellt.
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Notes
Without any question, such a situation would not only exist in the face of catastrophes or in political contexts, but also in economic ones: for instance, in connection with the question of the so-called Greek government debt crisis. However, the case studies in this volume do not cover the economic dimension of the SoE, except the study of Rafael Valim. More research contributions leading toward a deeper understanding of the economic dimension of SoE would be very welcome.
For the general distinction between legalists and extra-legalists, cf. Scheppele (2008).
In this article, we mainly comment on a talk by Petra Schulte (2018), held at the German Historical Institute, Paris, in June 2018. She argues that a significant practice of SoE exists in the late Middle Ages, too. Often neglected in political science studies, the notion of necessitas needs more consideration, as it constitutes an equivalent to modern crisis intervention.
The so-called pleins pouvoirs du président, as provided for in Article 16 of the Constitution of the Fifth French Republic, constitute a borderline case. Although the regulations are constitutionally codified, they might be interpreted that they, once applied, suspend the validity of the constitutional order. In this case, they are no longer legally integrated.
In addition, there is a strong analytical need to link such analyzes with the hegemonic narrative of neoliberalism. For example, in Demokratie unter Beschuss (Brown 2017), Wendy Brown stated that the “dictatorship of the executive” was the logical political consequence of a neoliberalism striving for freedom and authority alike. The market needs deregulation, the state the SoE.
Most of the papers have been presented at the 2017 State of Emergency conference that took place at the German Historical Institute in Paris. For more details on the conference, go to https://emergency.hypotheses.org/events/conference-2017.
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Lemke, M. What does state of exception mean?. Z Politikwiss 28, 373–383 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41358-018-0141-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41358-018-0141-4