Georgia is one of the most democratized states in the post-Soviet space. This article presents the mechanisms of instrumentalization and ideologization of the Georgian constitution and its political and social context. The absence of a consolidated state of the law was found to have four causes: 1) colonial experiences of the Enlightenment; 2) heritage of Soviet legislation; 3) rapid Westernization of the legal system; 4) political actors and parties manipulating the constitution in the name of particularistic interests.

The term ‘human rights’ is used to describe the rights of every person, regardless of their nationality or social position. In the doctrine, the term is also understood differently as the material, social and cultural premises of human independence. Both the concept and the content of the principle of sustainable development are the subject of a broad debate involving representatives of different scientific disciplines, publicists, and politicians representing different options. The authors of the article analyze the principle of sustainable development in the context of human rights. From the text of Art. 5 of the Constitution, it can be deduced that the principle of sustainable development in this layer is a human and civil right, broader than the law, relating to living in an uncontaminated environment. The core of the concept of sustainable development, which is not sufficiently emphasized due to its “appropriation” by ecologists and its complexity unduly perceived by lawyers, is that it formulates rights for future generations. The perception of these rights by the creators of the Polish Constitution, both in its preamble and in its Article 5, should be considered momentous and anticipating its creation.

Commonwealth Realms as a Relic of the Past. Change of the Political System in Barbados

After 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s Commonwealth Realms reign, only 15 countries remain, counting the United Kingdom. Barbados gained complete autonomy, becoming a republic after 55 years of independence. The purpose of this paper is to provide an outline of the process that took place in Barbados, from the time the British decided to settle on the Island, until it became a republic. The main research method used by the author, is source analysis and the point of reference is the Barbados Constitution Amendment Act of 28.09.2021, whereby from 30.11.2021, Barbados becomes a republic and all duties previously exercised by the Governor-General are exercised by the President.

The text aims at juxtaposing the thesis of the so-called “apoliticality” of the judiciary with the political-scientific analysis of its functioning as an institution of a political system. At the outset, the analysis is focused on demonstrating the multidimensionality of the judiciary, highlighting at the same time the features distinguishing it from the legislature and the executive. Further on, the phenomenon of judicialization of politics is elucidated. Judicialization is viewed as increased influence that the jurisdiction of the common courts exerts on the political decisionmaking process and its ramifications for the functioning of democratic political systems. The analysis encompasses deliberations on the so-called direct and indirect politicality understood as the off shoot of complex relations established between the judiciary and the remaining bodies of state authority.

The entire political activity of a country resolves around the idea of o political system. It is based on several elements: human individuals (prime elements), political parties, mutual interest groups and authority units (secondary elements). Political parties and lobbies perform the role of a mediator in the process of communication between society and establishment. Various relations within the political system are regulated by legal and common laws.

The Case of KLD. A History of a Community

The article is an attempt to scratch environmental portrait „of Gdansk liberals” who founded the Congress of the Liberal-Democratic. KLD came from Gdansk Social Economic „Congress Liberals”, an informal organization set up two years earlier, a grouping of opposition from environmental Donald Tusk, Janusz Lewandowski and Jan Krzysztof Bielecki – the creators of the magazine „Political Review”. National conference founder held on 29 and 30 June 1990, the group formally registered on October 9 of the same year. His program KLD described as „pragmatic liberalism”. He preached the need for privatization and extension of the scope of the free market. He advocated the Polish integration with Western structures, carefully carried decommunization and the ideological neutrality of the state.

Evolution of Grand National Assembly of Turkey’ Role in State System

The aim of article is to show the evolution of parliament’s role in Turkey and the changes taking place within the tripartite division of power from the time of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey (1920’s) to 2018. The article attempts to answer the following questions: how have the scope of competences and the position of the Turkish parliament changed? What are the competences of the parliament following the last reform of the Basic Law (1982)? The research hypothesis assumes that in the case of Turkey, we are dealing with a process of gradual deparliamentarization and replacement of parliament’s supremacy in the tripartite division of powers with a strong monocratic executive power. The changes taking place, characterized in successive basic laws and their amendments, can be described as a gradual weakening of the legislative power and the reduction of its powers in the structure of governmental bodies.

The last decades have been a time of dynamic changes in the scope of public management tools, as well as a gradual increase in the participation of citizens at every stage of public decision-making. That is why application of ICT tools in practice of public policy implementation is currently a popular direction of public administration development. The aim of the article is to analyse how this postulate is implemented on the example of Polish participatory budgets. On the basis of quantitative research the authors have analysed participatory budgets that function in towns with powiat rights. In the conclusions it is stated that ICT are applied only partially within the public policy environment and are used to popularise participatory budgets and to facilitate the process of voting for the submitted propositions.

What kind of freedom? The dilemma of democracy

Since the ancient times there has been a continuing discourse on the nature and scope of freedom and civic and human right in the more or less liberal democracy. This paper contains a critical analysis and assessment of the most important opinions concerning the both political and economic freedom and the interpretations of that concept in the political practice. This article argues that, contrary to the beliefs of most people, freedom and human rights do not come from nature, but they are the result of the society’s consensus, especially that part of the society, which participates in the elections. The voters agree to allow the winning political party to realize its program also in the respect to freedom and civic (human) rights. On the other hand the politicians try to secure the appropriate equilibrium between the political and economic freedom, which supports the stabilization of a given political system and is conducive to the economic growth.

The Institution of the President of the Fourth Republic of Poland

The article is a presentation of concepts concerning the institution of the President of the Republic of Poland in the system of the Fourth Republic, promoted by Law and Justice and the League of Polish Families. Both groups took the position that the president should be made the most important person in the state, with influence over all areas of political life. The president would have the right to determine with the government the main directions of state policy, direct the work of the government according to his will, influence the legislative process so that it proceeds in accordance with his expectations, and control the judiciary. It was believed that this would make the head of state, coming from one party or the other, more effective in implementing the vision of the Fourth Republic.

The interdependence between the economy and politics is particularly visible during economic crises. The subject of research is the impact of the economic crisis in Spain after 2008 on its political system. And the main aim is to answer the question: what factor had the most important impact on the functioning of the state’s political system. Authors assume that it was the amendment of the Art. 135 of the state constitution. The theoretical framework of the study is the output on the relationship between the economy and politics. The empirical research was based on the analysis of changes in the economic situation in Spain after 2008, and on the analysis of the evolution of the Spanish political system. Obtained results may be useful in the context of the impact of changes in the economic situation caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Civil Political Competences

Building and maintaining a high level of citizens’ political competences is the most important challenge of modern democracies. Political competence is not only a testament to the quality of democracy, but also gives hope for the stability of the regime. The subject of the present article are the different dimensions of civic political competence – namely, the axiological, psychological and systemic dimension. This approach to the matter allows to present a comprehensive overview of the phenomenon, analyzed both from the perspective of citizens – their skills, abilities and knowledge which can all be utilized to build and shape socio-political democratic structures, as well as from the point of view of wider social and systemic structures in which an individual operates. The elements named above together form the internal structure of civic political competence, wherein all its dimensions interact dynamically, and change thanks to this very interaction.

The Role of the Loya Jirga in Shaping Afghanistan’s Political System

In this article, the author presents the results of research on the origins of the Loya Jirga and its impact on the formation of the political system of Afghanistan. According to the author, searching for an answer to the question of what role the Loya Jirga played in the creation of an independent Afghan state and what significance it had in shaping the internal and foreign policy of the Afghan authorities is important for understanding the political processes that took place in Afghanistan in the 20’th century, both in the period of monarchy and communism, as well as the processes taking place in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from this country in 2021. The main research method used by the author was the historical method. With its help, the author also analyzed the role of this advisory body in the formation of the Constitution of Afghanistan, which was subject to significant changes in various historical periods depending on the political situation.

The influence of military reforms on the formation of the democratic system in Spain (1975–1996)

This article discusses the key military reforms in Spain from 1975 to 1996 and their significance in the country’s transition from Franco’s dictatorship to a democratic regime. Following General Franco’s death in 1975, Spain faced the challenge of transforming its authoritarian political system into a stable democracy. One of the most critical elements of this process was the reform of the military structures, which played a pivotal role in maintaining the old regime. The article analyzes significant changes in the Spanish armed forces, including the adoption of a new military criminal code, reforms related to compulsory military service, and steps towards the professionalization of the army. It also examines the impact of these reforms on civil-military relations, particularly in reducing hostile sentiments towards the military and increasing its popularity and acceptance among citizens. The article highlights the role of King Juan Carlos as a key mediator during the transition period, who managed to persuade the military to accept democratic changes. Military reforms contributed to limiting the military’s ability to intervene in internal politics, which was crucial for consolidating the new democratic regime. These reforms led to the Spanish army ceasing to act as a political arbiter and focusing on its primary defense tasks, which significantly impacted the stabilization and development of democratic Spain.

The Institution of the Children’s Commissioner for England as an Element of the Political System of the United Kingdom

The article is devoted to the analysis of the activities of the Children’s Commissioner for England. The experience allows us to draw conclusions regarding the activities and specificity of the constitutional institution dealing with protecting children’s rights in England. Also, it confirms that multi-faceted support and coordination effectively strengthen the protection of the rights of the youngest. This article aims to draw attention to selected aspects related to the activities of the Children’s Commissioner in England, including presenting the latest reports diagnosing the state of protection of children’s rights, including The Big Ambition, which was a large-scale consultation with England’s children conducted from September 2023 to January 2024. The author tries to demonstrate that the institution of the Children’s Commissioner in England plays an important political role, and its activities confirm the commitment to the protection of children’s rights, which ultimately brings positive results in this area.

The Quota System and its Relevance in the Context of Women’s Political Participation. The Example of Moldova

Gender equality is one of the fundamental issues of modern democracies and ensuring it, especially in the political sphere, is a key challenge for many countries. In Moldova, a number of legal and institutional mechanisms have been introduced in recent years to increase the representation of women in politics, of which the quota system has become a key tool. One of these is the quota system. Bearing in mind that gender equality is a complex category and reflects a wide spectrum of issues that affect the functioning of women and men, in this article the focus will be exclusively on women’s political participation. The narrowing down of the research process solely to the issue of women’s participation in politics is dictated by the need to conduct analyses taking into account the factors determining women’s participation in politics and to look for effective ways of reducing barriers and restrictions in this area.