THE FRAGMENTATION OF POLITICAL POWER IN REFORM PROGRAMMES AND CONSTITUTIONAL PROJECTS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY
THE FRAGMENTATION OF POLITICAL POWER IN REFORM PROGRAMMES AND CONSTITUTIONAL PROJECTS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY

Summary/Abstract: THE PROFOUND CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE IN ROMANIAN SOCIETY IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY WERE ALSO REFLECTED IN POLITICAL LIFE, AT LEAST AT A THEORETICAL LEVEL. THE BREAK WITH THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, WHICH WAS ENTERING ITS FINAL PHASE AFTER THE RETURN TO THE LANDED DOMINIONS, MADE PART OF THE ROMANIAN POLITICAL ELITE TURN ITS ATTENTION TOWARDS THE WEST. POLITICAL PRINCIPLES SUCH AS THE SEPARATION OF POWERS IN THE STATE, NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY, POLITICAL REPRESENTATION, RULE OF LAW, THE CONSTITUTIONAL REGIME AND POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVENESS BEGAN TO MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE POLITICAL VOCABULARY OF THE PRINCIPALITY. MANY POLITICAL REFORM PROJECTS ADVOCATE THE ADOPTION OF A MODEL BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SEPARATION OF POWERS IN THE STATE, A PRINCIPLE THAT MONTESQUIEU HAD ALREADY SET OUT IN THE MID-18TH CENTURY IN HIS WELL-KNOWN WORK THE SPIRIT OF THE LAWS. HOWEVER, THE MODERNIZATION OF ROMANIAN SOCIETY WAS AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TASK, GIVEN THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE INHABITANTS OF WALLACHIA AND MOLDAVIA LIVED IN RURAL AREAS, IN PRECARIOUS ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND WITHOUT ACCESS TO INSTITUTIONAL EDUCATION.

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