Canal-side and Constitutional Musings

This week, I was given the rather lofty task of comparing two versions of a constitution. Specifically, the Belarus Constitution: one drafted by the opposition in exile and finalized in 2022, and the official Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, as amended that same year. 

To prepare, I began by reading a few IDEA “primers," which are concise, 20-page overviews written for those new to constitution-building. I had to get a better understanding of amendments to constitutions generally and, more specifically, fourth branch institutions. Once I felt I had a better foundation, I pulled up the two constitutions on my monitor, positioning them side-by-side and began my analysis. I read through the opposition draft first, which was notably longer than the streamlined official version. I took notes on key differences in six areas: system of government, executive-legislative relations, judiciary structure, constitutional court powers, local governance, and fourth branch institutions.

At first, my notes were rather unwieldy, full of unfamiliar terms and unnecessary information. But after some editing, I managed to distill them into a seven-page memo of what I believed to be the most important differences. While the whole process took me far longer than I would have liked, I now feel confident in my ability to tackle future comparative assignments. I also have a stronger grasp of the two main constitutional archetypes: procedural and prescriptive. The opposition draft was more of the latter, and consistently reiterated the society’s aspirations and shared values. Conversely, procedural constitutions focus less on collective identity and prioritize the institutional mechanisms for resolving disagreements. They do not lean on a single vision for their society but commit only to the systems needed to solve problems in a pluralist society. As with other legal instruments, what is left unwritten can help understand what has been committed to text. 

Moving away from my constitutional musings, I’ve continued exploring my home for the summer. I made day trips to Amsterdam and Leiden, both of which were in the full swing of summer. In Amsterdam, I visited a photography exhibition at the Rijksmuseum and spent the afternoon in Vondelpark with a friend from Rotterdam. My favorite photographs in the collection were some of the oldest and had to be backlit to be visible. Best of all, they were only an inch or so in height and width.

Leiden was equally charming in that the sun seemingly brought everyone outside, and locals on boats drifted lazily through the canals. Canal-side, I ate grilled fish from a Saturday market vendor while enjoying an impromptu performance of "La vie en rose" from a nearby boatgoer. I, for one, was impressed. 

Stay tuned for more updates as the summer continues!