Second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding? Case study of Czech and Polish senates
The Czech Republic and Poland represent countries with bicameral parliaments, where the existence of second chambers has often been questioned because both countries represent unitary political systems. While the demand for territorial representation is often quoted as the key reason for establishin...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi
2022-10-01
|
| Series: | Eastern Journal of European Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ejes.uaic.ro/articles/EJES2022_13SI_JUS.pdf |
| _version_ | 1811246217274851328 |
|---|---|
| author | Petr JUST Jakub CHARVAT |
| author_facet | Petr JUST Jakub CHARVAT |
| author_sort | Petr JUST |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Czech Republic and Poland represent countries with bicameral parliaments, where the existence of second chambers has often been questioned because both countries represent unitary political systems. While the demand for territorial representation is often quoted as the key reason for establishing second chambers, there are other principles of second chamber representation and / or roles they are playing. One of them is the expansion of the checks-and-balances system beyond the traditional executive - legislative - judicial triangle. The existence of two chambers also brings the check-and-balance principle inside the legislative branch itself. Second chambers are thus understood as certain guarantors of constitutionality and democracy. The article focuses on the role the second chambers in the Czech Republic and Poland have played in the process of preventing democratic backsliding, a recent phenomenon visible in CEE. The problem will be analyzed in the context of the compositional (in)congruence, the constitutional position and powers of both second chambers. It will also analyze whether the current Czech and Polish institutional frameworks allow for second chambers to act as guarantors of constitutionality and democracy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:51:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-16739aee0ae94110b6110f1fae2fcd5b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2068-651X 2068-6633 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T14:51:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Eastern Journal of European Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-16739aee0ae94110b6110f1fae2fcd5b2022-12-22T03:28:27ZengAlexandru Ioan Cuza University of IasiEastern Journal of European Studies2068-651X2068-66332022-10-0113SI16418210.47743/ejes-2022-SI09Second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding? Case study of Czech and Polish senates Petr JUST0Jakub CHARVAT1Metropolitan University PragueMetropolitan University PragueThe Czech Republic and Poland represent countries with bicameral parliaments, where the existence of second chambers has often been questioned because both countries represent unitary political systems. While the demand for territorial representation is often quoted as the key reason for establishing second chambers, there are other principles of second chamber representation and / or roles they are playing. One of them is the expansion of the checks-and-balances system beyond the traditional executive - legislative - judicial triangle. The existence of two chambers also brings the check-and-balance principle inside the legislative branch itself. Second chambers are thus understood as certain guarantors of constitutionality and democracy. The article focuses on the role the second chambers in the Czech Republic and Poland have played in the process of preventing democratic backsliding, a recent phenomenon visible in CEE. The problem will be analyzed in the context of the compositional (in)congruence, the constitutional position and powers of both second chambers. It will also analyze whether the current Czech and Polish institutional frameworks allow for second chambers to act as guarantors of constitutionality and democracy.https://ejes.uaic.ro/articles/EJES2022_13SI_JUS.pdfbicameralismsenatedemocratic backslidingczech republicpoland |
| spellingShingle | Petr JUST Jakub CHARVAT Second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding? Case study of Czech and Polish senates Eastern Journal of European Studies bicameralism senate democratic backsliding czech republic poland |
| title | Second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding? Case study of Czech and Polish senates |
| title_full | Second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding? Case study of Czech and Polish senates |
| title_fullStr | Second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding? Case study of Czech and Polish senates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding? Case study of Czech and Polish senates |
| title_short | Second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding? Case study of Czech and Polish senates |
| title_sort | second parliamentary chambers as safeguards against democratic backsliding case study of czech and polish senates |
| topic | bicameralism senate democratic backsliding czech republic poland |
| url | https://ejes.uaic.ro/articles/EJES2022_13SI_JUS.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT petrjust secondparliamentarychambersassafeguardsagainstdemocraticbackslidingcasestudyofczechandpolishsenates AT jakubcharvat secondparliamentarychambersassafeguardsagainstdemocraticbackslidingcasestudyofczechandpolishsenates |