Constitutional Models of Semi-Presidential Systems of Government in Russia and Poland

• Main Author: Davor Boban
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia 2006-01-01
• Series: Anali Hrvatskog Politološkog Društva
• Subjects: constitutional models; semi-presidential system; semi-presidentialism; dual structure of the executive branch of government; Russia; Poland
• Online Access: http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/60137

The establishment of new political systems in Central and Eastern Europe after the collapse of communist regimes implied a decision on a new system of government instead of the earlier proclaimed assembly system. The position of the framers of the Constitution on the need for a strong institution of state presidency during the transition process, and the correlation of forces between diff erent actors in the political arena, have resulted in the establishment of the semi-presidential system in many of these countries. In Russia and Poland, with the fi rst modifi cations of their Constitutions, some elements of semi-presidentialism were adopted, and then the whole concept of semi-presidentialism has been accepted. The constitutional models in the two countries are compatible with the criteria of semi-presidential systems – they have a dual structure of the executive branch of government and a fi xed term of the state president elected on the general elections and politically unaccountable to the parliament. The political practice in these countries during the last fi fteen years has shown diff erent eff ects of the established system. In Russia, the state president dominated so much over the political system that the system was virtually presidential, while in Poland the constitutional changes in 1990, 1992 and 1997 have resulted in the change of the correlation of forces within the dual structure of the executive branch of government.