Niemcy jako państwo partyjne – idea i praktyka ustrojowa

Germany as a Party State – Idea and Praxis

PARTY STATE IS an idea which refers to close relations between the state institutions and parties. The theory of party state first defined Hans Kelsen in the interwar period. He tried to find solution to the weakness of democracy in the Weimar Republic, where parties instead of governing the state fought against each other. This situation led to the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler. After the 2nd world war the Kelsen’s idea found possitive ground and became one of the constitutional rules. The German constitution provides new approach to the role of political parties in the political system, describing them as intermediaries between the politically organized society and the state institution. The article deals with the historical background as well as contemporary praxis of the party state in Germany. The Author shows the pros and cons of the German party state.