Parliament and parliamentarism in building and transforming Czechoslovak statehood

The study focuses on the importance of the Parliament’s involvement in construction of the Czechoslovak state. With the exception of the German occupation, as the legislature of the Czechoslovak Republic, the National Assembly played an important role in affecting its republican and democratic character. The article discusses two of the most important stages of the formation of the Czechoslovak statehood. First is the Interwar period when the Czechoslovak statehood demonstrated features typical of parliamentary democracy with assumed parliamentary power, followed by the 1960s when the common state of the Czechs and Slovaks developed on a federal level.

The Mali Federation may be perceived as one of the first African attempts at regional integration. After the Loi-cadre was enacted in 1959, the French colonies started their path toward independence, and they sought for cooperation. However, both views on the future relationship with the Fifth Republic and internal disputes over power distribution came as their most significant threats. The author analyses the idea and the creation of the Mali Federation, taking into consideration the political and historical factors. The aim of this paper is to present a general overview of one of the first and most important independence movements in West Africa. The federation was to consist initially of 4 states, but eventually, only 2 of them, i.e., French Sudan and Senegal, decided to adopt its constitution. Those two countries shared many similarities with each other; however, the lack of agreement between the parties prevented the effective functioning of the federation as a sovereign state. Although it existed only for two months, the Mali Federation marked the possibilities and the difficulties for the African cooperation and integration processes for the next decades.

Polish and Ukrainian political and military cooperation plans in 1919–1921

Geopolitical changes in post-WW-I Europe resulted in the rebirth of Poland and a short functioning of Ukrainian state, even without the formal recognition of its independence. Poland intended to become a leader for the western-border states of the Russian Empire by promoting a federal vision of Piłsudski’s followers. From Autumn 1919, it tried that toward the Ukrainian People’s Republic ruled by Petlura. Formally, it happened in April 1920 with the signing of political agreement and military convention. The goal was to take joint political and military action in the war between Poland and Bolshevik Russia in 1919-1920. However, the Ukrainian society did not support it and undermined its efficiency. Moreover, the leaders of both sides perceived the alliance’s essence differently and were not entirely loyal to each other. The cooperation’s end was a truce in the war signed on October 12, 1920, and then the Peace of Riga of March 18, 1921. Against Piłsudski’s will, Poland agreed to end cooperation with Petlura and intern his soldiers. The only thing Piłsudski agreed to was the independent action of Petlura’s followers, which had to end with a catastrophe.

Undoubtedly, Russia occupies a distinct position within the political landscape, differentiating it from Western democracies that themselves exhibit considerable variation. This uniqueness can be attributed, in part, to Russia’s geographic characteristics, encompassing diverse subdivisions characterized by variations in population, natural resources, territorial expanse, and distance from the central authority. However, what truly distinguishes Russia is its contemporary history and recent experiences with federalization— a framework that has defined its operations since it became the Russian Federation following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The objective of this paper is to analyze the distinctive features of Russian federalism in its early stages, employing a comparative perspective against the Spanish case, in order to ascertain the consequences of the legal, organizational, and territorial arrangements established during Russia’s early democratization period. The focus is to evaluate the implications of these changes on the establishment of a legally-binding democracy and a well-functioning federation, ultimately questioning whether Russia genuinely qualifies for either of these classifications.