Vote of confidence in the 1949 Basic Law for the Federal Republic  of Germany and in the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of Poland  in the context of both states’ parliamentary system’s rationalization

The article contains a comparative analysis of the provisions concerning the vote of confidence currently in force in Germany and Poland. The aim of the article is to evaluate the level of the parliamentary system’s rationalization in both countries, as far as the aforementioned legal institution is concerned. The concept of the rationalization of parliamentarism is construed by the author as aiming at political stability and effectiveness by means of properly formed legal tools, through strengthening of the government at the expense of the legislative power. The multifunctional character of the German vote of confidence and, especially, the lack of the chancellor’s obligation to dismiss in case of defeat at the voting on the motion in the parliament, justify the conclusion that the German version of the analyzed institution fulfills the concept of the rationalized parliamentarism more accurately than its Polish counterpart.

The author describes mutual, constitutional relations between the Senate and the head of state, and asks questions about the perspectives of their modification. The political events of 1989 leading to the reinstatement of a single-member head of state and Senate in Poland made their restitution closely related. At present, the competence and functional dependence of these bodies is low. The President and the Senate share a common view on the constant presence in the doctrinal and political discussion of the problem of changing their political position.

The political involvement of media may raise doubts, particularly when these are the cases of political bias. Many Polish journalists perceive this phenomenon critically and try to counteract it, creating codes of journalistic ethics. Their impact, however, is not common, so they remain ineffective. This problem should be considered while analyzing the Polish constitutional provisions and laws. None of the provisions of the Polish Constitution of 1997 does prohibit journalists or media political commitment. Media in Poland have but to fulfill an important function of informing the sovereign (nation) about all the activities of public authorities. To this end, the legal standards guarantee media freedom of action. Associated with the position of media power is to serve social objectives, which is to provide information. Legal norms do not require neutrality, nor do they impose political commitment. It should also be remembered that media are a part of the Polish political system.

Social perception of the Polish Constitution of 1997 and the proposals for its amendment The main purpose of the article was to show the social perception of the Polish Constitution by Poles. The media reports concerning the proposed amendment to the Constitution of 1997 were analyzed. The article includes, inter alia, questions about whether the Polish Constitution is really important for Poles, or is it rather a tool in the hands of politicians, used to evoke social emotions that are to influence the course of political events. The article uses a method of analyzing the literature and the legal acts on the subject and the analysis of the media content concerning Polish people‘s attitude to the proposed amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. The analysis of the collected materials shows that Poles know little about the Constitution. The change in the attitude of Poles was influenced by the socio-political situation in the country, divided traditional media and the political opposition.

The real system of government in Poland after the country’s accession to the European Union

The subject of research presented in the article is the system of government in Poland. The considerations concern the relationship between the normative solutions defined in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997 and the influence of the EU on the modification of political solutions in Poland. It was hypothesized that after Poland’s accession to the EU, the system of government in Poland changed in terms of political practice. It has been shown that functioning in the EU resulted in a departure from the characteristic rationalization of the system of government and bringing it closer to the parliamentary model. The prediction presents possible further directions of modification of the system of governance depending on the evolution of the EU. The research was based on the following methods: institutional-legal, systemic and comparative.

The subject of research presented in the article is the system of government in Poland. The considerations concern the relationship between the normative solutions defined in the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 1997 and the influence of the EU on the modification of political solutions in Poland. It was hypothesized that after Poland’s accession to the EU, the system of government in Poland changed in terms of political practice. It has been shown that functioning in the EU resulted in a departure from the characteristic rationalization of the system of government and brought it closer to the parliamentary model. The research was based on the following methods: institutional-law, systemic and comparative.