As part of his PhD trajectory, Esteban Szmulewicz was invited to give a presentation at a seminar titled ‘Challenges of representative and participatory constitution-making: insights from the recent Chilean processes’. The seminar, which was held at the Institute in Warsaw, was attended by colleagues affiliated with the institute, as well as other Polish academics and participants online.
During the seminar, various topics were discussed including citizen participation, gender parity, the crisis of representative institutions, political polarization and radicalization, as well as the problems of deliberation revealed during constitution-making. The discussions were comparative in nature, highlighting that these challenges are common to many countries attempting to introduce constitutional reforms such as Poland and the Netherlands.
The seminar provided valuable insights into the complexities and difficulties faced in the process of constitution-making. It shed light on common issues and potential solutions. The diverse perspectives shared by participants contributed to a rich and informative discussion that deepened understanding of the challenges involved in creating representative and participatory constitutions. Overall, it was an enlightening experience for all who participated.