Introduction Academic Legacy of Wojciech Sadurski, Rule of Law, and Mnemonic Constitutionalism in Central and Eastern Europe

This Introduction reflects on the significance of Wojciech Sadurski’s scholarship on comparative constitutionalism in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It links his legacy to the rise of mnemonic constitutionalism in post-communist countries in CEE. The mushrooming of memory laws (various forms of-often nationalistic-governance of historical memory) in CEE has taken place in the context of the region’s democratic decline. Countries such as Hungary and Poland are currently in the epicentre of an EU backlash for violation of rule of law standards. The recent wave of memory laws in CEE goes to the heart of constitutional visions and should be analysed in conjunction with their specific historical and present socio-political context marking the rise of illiberal democracies. The wave of mnemonic constitutionalism in CEE fulfils a different self-exculpatory function in projecting a victimhood of states and serving as a shield and sword in the context of memory wars in CEE.