International Organizations Influence on the Relationship between the Parliamentary Majority and the Opposition in a Democracy

The author analyzed the issue of the impact of international standards on the relationship between the parliamentary majority and the minority. Although the regulation of these issues is the sovereign attribute of the state, international organizations may influence this sphere as a consequence of the obligations arising from membership. The protection of opposition rights is included in the axiological systems of both the European Union and the Council of Europe. Of particular importance here will be the implementation of the document of the Venice Commission, which contains a checklist of requirements that should be implemented to ensure proper relations between the parliamentary majority and minority. Although this document is only the so-called “soft law”, so it is not legally binding, it should be implemented into the political practice of the member states of the Council of Europe.

Wpływ organizacji międzynarodowych na relacje większości parlamentarnej z opozycją w demokracji

Autor poddał analizie zagadnienie wpływu organizacji międzynarodowych na relacje pomiędzy parlamentarną większością i mniejszością parlamentarną. Choć regulacja tych zagadnień należy do suwerennych atrybutów państwa, to jednak organizacje międzynarodowe mogą oddziaływać na tę sferę w konsekwencji zobowiązań wynikających z członkostwa. Ochrona praw opozycji znajduje się w systemach aksjologicznych zarówno Unii Europejskiej, jak i Rady Europy. Szczególne znaczenie będzie tu miała realizacja dokumentu Komisji Weneckiej, zawierającego listę kontrolną wymogów, które powinny być zrealizowane, by zapewnić właściwe relacje większości i mniejszości parlamentarnej. Choć dokument ten ma charakter jedynie tzw. „miękkiego prawa”, a więc nie jest prawnie wiążący, to powinien być wdrożony do praktyki ustrojowej państw członkowskich Rady Europy.

REFERENCES:

• Alexiadou D., In search of successful reform: the politics of opposition and consensus in OECD parliamentary democracies, „West European Politics” 2013, no. 4.
• Burns R., van der Will W., Protest and Democracy in West Germany: Extra-Parliamentary Opposition and the Democratic Agenda, London 2016.
• Carlotti B., Patterns of opposition in the European Parliament: opposing Europe from the inside?, Cham 2021.
• Coalition government as a reflection of a nation’s politics and society: a comparative study of parliamentary parties and cabinets in 12 countries, ed. M. Evans, Abington– New York 2020.
• Crespy A., Parks L., The connection between parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition in the EU. From ACTA to the financial crisis, „Journal of European Integration” 2017, no. 4.
• Dahl R.A., Democracy and its critics, New Haven 1989.
• De Giorgi E., G. Ilonszki, Opposition Parties in European Legislatures: Conflict or Consensus? Milton 2018.
• Dwivedi R., Shrivastava A., Institutional opposition in parliamentary democracy: experience from the UK, Australia and India, „International Journal of Public Law and Policy” 2023, no. 3.
• Fletcher N., Institutionalised Dissent: The Official Opposition in the UK Since 1935, Abington 2024.
• Garritzman J.L., How much power do oppositions have? Comparing the opportunity structures of parliamentary oppositions in 21 democracies, “Journal of Legislative Studies” 2017, no. 1.
• Helms H., Parliamentary Opposition in Old and New Democracies, London 2008.
• Helms L., Studying Parliamentary Opposition in Old and New Democracies: Issues and Perspectives, „Journal of Legislative Studies” 2008, no. 1–2.
• Jaskiernia J., Dyplomacja parlamentarna, Toruń 2022.
• Jaskiernia J., Institutions and sources of law in the European Union, Toruń 2023.
• Jaskiernia J., Opozycja parlamentarna w świetle standardów Rady Europy [in:] Opozycja parlamentarna, ed. E. Zwierzchowski, Warszawa 2000.
• Juul Christiansen F., Gamgaard E., Parliamentary Opposition under Minority Parliamentarism: Scandinavia, „Journal of Legislative Studies” 2008, no. 1–2.
• König T., Lin N., Silva T.N., Government dominance and the role of opposition in parliamentary democracies, „European Journal of Political Research” 2023, no. 2.
• Louwerse T., How Populists Wage Opposition: Parliamentary Opposition Behaviour and Populism in Netherlands, „Political Studies” 2019, no. 2.
• Loxbo K., Sjölin M., Mújica A., Sánchez-Cuenca I., Parliamentary Opposition on the Wane? The Case of Sweden, 1970–2014, „Government and Oppostion” 2017, no. 4.
• Maeda K., Determinants of opposition fragmentation: Parliamentary rules and opposition strategies, „Party Politics” 2015, no. 5.
• Mancebo A., Populism and parliamentary opposition parties: the Economic Freedom Fighters party behaviour in the South African parliament, „Journal of Legislative Studies” 2023, no. 8.
• Mújica A., Sánchez-Cuenca I., Consensus and parliamentary opposition: the case of Spain, „Government and Opposition” 2006, no. 1.
• Müller M., Opposition party behaviour and minority government support: Challenges, strategies and trade-offs, Baden-Baden 2022.
• Persson T., Karlsson C., Lehann F., Märtensson M., Drivers of parliamentary opposition in European Union politics: institutional factors or party characteristics? „Journal of European Public Policy” 2024, no. 3.
• Proksch S.-O., Slapin J.B., Parliamentary questions and oversight in the European Union, „European Journal of Political Research” 2011, no. 1.
• Whitaker R., Martin S., Divide to conquer? Strategic parliamentary opposition and coalition government, “Party Politics” 2022, no. 6.