Towards a Constitutionalist Programme

Abstract

In this chapter the development and formulation of the constitutionalist programme will be studied with the intention of identifying the beginnings of a constitutionalist group within the broader context of the ‘public movement’. With the development of programmatic concepts which put ‘public activity’ into political perspectives, the ‘public movement’ emerged from its state of unconsciousness as a purely social movement; it began to take on political differentiations in that each group and circle legitimized its political activity with a different theory. First of all we shall look for developments in the field of political theory which corresponded to the social change already noted, and try to mention a few theoretical positions suitable for giving the ‘public movement’ a constitutionalist political perspective. The development of a political programme is not, however, only a theoretical problem; it is just as much a question of political practice. Secondly, therefore, we shall study the history of the first constitutionalist platform, which can be coupled with the history of the establishment of the periodical Osvobozhdenie (Liberation). Who were the founders and sponsors of this periodical? Which individuals, groups and circles shared in the formulation of the programme? Which stages of deliberation did the programme pass through? The programmatic articles in the first number of the periodical were, after all, interpreted in the light of the questions on what political perspective the Constitutionalists followed, how they defined their role in the ‘public movement’ as well as vis-à-vis the revolutionary movement, and what range of actions they considered possible for their political activity.