Constitution of Eniarku

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Constitution of Eniarku
Cover page
Created12 July 2021
Presented1 March 2024
Ratified28 May 2024
Date effective29 May 2024
SystemUnitary hereditary semi-constitutional monarchy
Government structure
BranchesOne, with varying institutional functions
Head of stateThe Grand Duke
ExecutiveCouncil of State
FederalismNo
Electoral collegeNo
CitationG.D. En. Const.
LocationBaldwin House, Glenora
Author(s)Grand Duke Alexander
Constitutional Council
SignatoriesGrand Duke Alexander[a]

The Constitution of Eniarku, officially the Constitution and Basic Law of the Grand Duchy of Eniarku, is the supreme law of the Grand Duchy of Eniarku. Granted by Alexander, Grand Duke of Eniarku, on 29 May 2024, it is the first fully codified constitution in Eniarku's history and established the current grand duchy as the successor state to the defunct Kingdom of Eniarku.

The constitution serves as the foundation of Eniarkian sovereignty and the source of legitimate governing authority, defining the fundamental rights of citizens and providing a framework for the organization of the government under the Crown. The constitution draws inspiration from numerous sources, including the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the American Bill of Rights, the 1921 constitution of Liechtenstein, the 1868 constitution of Luxembourg, and the 1962 constitution of Monaco. The document is unique in that it does not provide for the separation of powers, but rather vests power in the grand duke (together with the Council of State), who serves in various institutional capacities to construct, enforce, and interpret the laws of the state within the constraints set forth by the constitution.

History

Upon the establishment of the Republic of Eniarku on 29 May 2009, the founders created a general constitutional scaffolding that provided for the basic functions and offices of government, but no official ratification of this body of documents took place and no surviving copies exist today. As such, from the time of the republic until the lengthy period of inactivity following the decline of the kingdom in mid-2017, the constitution is generally considered to have been uncodified, consisting merely of the combined body of legislation, executive regulations, and judicial decisions issued over the course of the state's history.

In early 2020, several members of the defunct government and royal family began meeting to discuss Eniarku's potential return to the micronational community. Recognizing the shortcomings of the numerous incarnations of the state during its long history, the group began drafting a unifying constitutional document that borrowed from the best practices of previous governments, as well as incorporated principles enshrined in the constitutions of several European macronations (including Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Monaco) and the famous rights-protecting documents of France and the United States. The drafters met intermittently from mid-2021 until March 2024, when now-Grand Duke Alexander formally convened the group as the Constitutional Council of Eniarku to initiate serious and routine drafting work. At a brief final meeting of the Council on 28 May 2024, Eniarku's first codified constitution was unanimously ratified by all members and took effect at midnight on 29 May 2024.

Structure

The constitution is relatively short, totaling just under 1,900 words including titles and headers. It is divided into nine substantive sections (excluding the preamble) that establish the grand duchy's sovereignty within the frameworks of international and intermicronational law, the rights of citizens, the basic structure of and relationship between the state's institutions, and provisions for amendment and enactment. Grand Duke Alexander's signature appears at the bottom-right of the final page.

  • Preamble
  • Chapter I. Sovereignty
  • Chapter II. Fundamental Rights & Liberties
  • Chapter III. Foundation of the State
  • Chapter IV. The Crown & Succession to the Throne
  • Chapter V. The Government
  • Chapter VI. The Public Welfare
  • Chapter VII. Institutional Obligations
  • Chapter VIII. Revision & Amendments
  • Chapter IX. Final Provisions

Notes

  1. The grand duke signed the constitution in his capacity as the enacting official.

References