Leopold had shown a speculative tendency to…
May 1790 CE
Leopold had shown a speculative tendency to grant his subjects a constitution during his governance in Tuscany.
When he succeeds to the Austrian lands, he begins by making large concessions to the interests offended by his brother's innovations.
He recognizes the Estates of his different dominions as "the pillars of the monarchy", pacifies the Hungarians and Bohemians, and divides the insurgents in the Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium) by means of concessions.
When these fail to restore order, he marches troops into the country and re-establishes his own authority, and at the same time the historic franchises of the Flemings.
Yet he does not surrender any part that could be retained of what Maria Theresa and Joseph had done to strengthen the hands of the state.
He continues, for instance, to insist that no papal bull can be published in his dominions without his consent (placetum regium).
One of the harshest actions Leopold takes to placate the noble communities of the various Habsburg domains is to issue a decree on May 9, 1790, that forces thousands of Bohemian serfs freed by his brother Joseph back into servitude.