Systemy ustrojowe w konstytucjach Czechosłowacji, Czech i Słowacji
Pages: 206Book format: 15 x 23,5 cmPublication date: 2025
Book description
Newly established the Republic of Czechoslovakia adopted its constitution on 29 February 1920. Czechoslovakia was a democratic republic where the source of all state power was people. The legislative powers were entrusted to the bicameral National Assembly composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. More authorities were conferred upon the Chamber of Deputies. Both chambers were elected on the basis of proportional electoral system and the suffrage was universal regardless of sex. The executive powers were divided between the President and the government. The President, elected by the Parliament, was the head of the state. He has appointed the government, which however was responsible politically to the Parliament, specifically to the Chamber of Deputies. The Constitution as well regulated the judiciary powers and separate law intended the being of the Constitutional Court, which was tasked with the review of constitutionality of laws, however within limited dimension. The Czechoslovak Constitutional Court was next to Austrian one first this type authority in the World.
The Protectorate of Czech and Moravia and the Slovak State of Father Jozef Tiso existing in the days of Second World War were collaborative formations of the Third Reich.
After coup of February 1948 in Czechoslovakia was established a repressive communist system. Quickly, on 9 May 1948, was adopted a new constitution. It was hybrid document that linked old Czechoslovak parliamentary tradition with new political situation. State was proclaimed as a people’s democracy. Many constitutional regulations had a pure façade character. Consolidation of the communist regime was marked by adoption strictly socialist constitution on 11 July 1960 that proclaimed definitive victory of socialism in Czechoslovakia. The name of state was changed from the Republic of Czechoslovakia on the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. The Constitution has awarded to the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia a status of the leading force of society and state. In 1968 in Czechoslovakia unexpectedly was initiated broad program of reform aiming at democratization of political system, called as a Prague Spring. After military intervention of the Warsaw Pact on August 1968 most of projected reform were abandoned, but a federal system dividing Czechoslovakia into Czech and Slovak parts was approved as a result of constitutional law of October 1968.
The Constitution of the Czech Republic was passed on 16 December 1992, overtaking official come into being of the state what happened on 1 January 1993. Certainly it was some kind of paradox. Axiology of constitution is grounded in deep humanitarian and democratic values. As constitution says, the Czech Republic is build up, protect and develop in the spirit of the inviolable values of human dignity and liberty and the state is defined as a sovereign, united and democratic law-governed one. The political system is an example of parliamentary model. In this framework the bicameral parliament, composed by the House of Deputies and the Senate, is a power institution of the first rank. But the House of Deputies has strongest political and legal position than the Senate. Executive power consist of the President of the Republic and the Government led by the Prime Minister. Elected by people the President is head of the state and its highest representative. However the Government is supreme authority of executive power and it charts a politics of the state. The Constitutional Court is the judicial institution which role is safeguarding constitutional legality.
The Constitution of the Slovak Republic from 3 September 1992 says that Slovakia is a sovereign, democratic state governed by the rule of law and is not bound by any ideology or religion. The National Council of the Slovak Republic is a sole constitutional and legislative body. It embraces 150 members elected for a four-year term. The head of Slovakia and highest representative of state is the President who is elected by universal and direct suffrage for five-year tenure. However the Government consisted of the Prime Minister, Vice-Prime Ministers and Ministers is the supreme executive body. The Constitutional Court is an independent judicial authority vested with the mandate to protect the integrity of constitutional principles.
LanguagePolish
Title in EnglishConstitutional Bohemiada. Political Systems in the Constitutions of Czechosłovakia, Czechia and Slovakia