Staatsräson: Empty Signifier or Meaningful Norm?Prof. Wiener publishes blog post on ‘A Fundamental Norm with Unknown Meaning’ in Verfassungsblog

16. Januar 2024

Following the shocking Hamas atrocities against the state of Israel and its people on 7th October 2023, German state representatives keep voicing unwavering support for Israel: “(A)t this moment there is only one place for Germany. The place beside Israel. That’s what we mean by saying: Israel’s security is German Staatsräson”1), Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasised in the German Bundestag, confirming “full solidarity with the people of Israel” and emphasising “that Germany stands unwaveringly on Israel’s side.“ As this public claim leads beyond solidarity, which other states have also expressed in light of the Hamas atrocities, many wonder what – if anything – the Chancellor’s reference to the norm actually means beyond uttering moral support?

In her blog post for Verfassungsblog (‘constitution blog’), an academic blog on constitutional law, Prof. Antje Wiener PhD explores what the norm of ‘Staatsräson’ might mean, and invites to a dialogue on the meanings-in-use of it. The article, published on January 12th 2024, can be found via https://verfassungsblog.de/staatsrson-empty-signifier-or-meaningful-norm/