Original scientific paper
POLISH PARLIAMENT IN TRANSITION: IN SEARCH OF A MODEL
Irena Jackiewicz
; Department of Political Science, Politechnika Warszawska, Warsaw, Poland
Zbigniew Jackiewicz
; Department of Political Science, Politechnika Warszawska, Warsaw, Poland
Abstract
The authors analyse the constitutional position of the Polish parliament after the democratic revolution of 1989 as well as its internal political dynamics. The parliament has two houses, endowed with different constitutional competences: Sejm (lower House) and Senate (upper House). The 460 members of the Sejm were elected in three electoral cycles (1989, 1991, and 1993) by means of majority and a proportional electoral system with various prohibitive clauses, while the 100 senators were elected by the majority electoral system. The changes in the electoral rules resulted in the altered parliamentary party system. While in the “contractual” Sejm the seats (in accordance with a political agreement) were divided between the ruling communist bloc and the oppositional “Solidarity”, the first freely elected Sejm had an extremely fragmented party structure with 28 parties, while the second Sejm is moderately pluralist, with two parties of the government coalition and four opposition parties. The most remarkable feature of the Polish political culture is an increasing professionalization of the parliament members as well as a growing political apathy of general public and a meagre turnout at the polls.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
105919
URI
Publication date:
18.6.1996.
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