The 1923 Constitution – a “New Constitution” for a “Greater and New Romania”?

VASILE PUȘCAȘ
Abstract
The Romanian Constitution of 1923 was the most debated subject in the history of modern and contemporary Romanian constitutionalism. This is understandable because the Constitution of 1923 had a double purpose: to codify the fulfillment of the ideal of national state unity of the Romanians and to project the consolidation of the national economy, mature democracy, and the Romanian society’s integration in the pace and direction of European evolution. The prerequisites for major transformations and a “new state”, for a new stage of modernization of the country were the expectations of Romanian citizens and many political leaders. From the abovementioned considerations in post–war Romania was needing a new Constitution. The current study is dealing with both political and cultural debates in Romania (1918–1923) regarding the content, principles, and political interests of the Constitution of 1923. Our conclusion is that the Romanian Constitution of 1923 was not a “New Constitution”, being a revision and adaptation of the 1866 Constitution. The political leaders which supported the adoption of Liberal Party’s draft of Constitution had given up proposing a new country project to Romanians, being only concerned with the daily management of Romania’s affairs, depending on contextual interests they were trying to adapt to. After 15 years, the Constitution of 1923 was replaced with the King Carol II’s authoritarian Constitution.
Keywords: Greater Romania, New Romania, Constitution, national state, modernization, national unity, political parties, reform, social justice, First World War.