Poland's Parliamentary Traditions
The history of the Polish parliamentary system developed along the same lines as in the other European countries. Magnates, gentry and burghers were trying hard to strengthen their position through acquiring more rights and privileges, simultaneously weakening king’s absolute power. Self-governments of various lands were steadily gaining importance throughout the 15th century. Important decisions were voted for during the gatherings of local gentry. Towards the end of the century, the two chamber Polish diet was established. The representations of local gentry gatherings (councils) created the Chamber of Deputies, and the royal council including lay and church officials was converted into the Senate. The Seym was in session every second year, or in case of need, and gathered in Warsaw. After the Jagiellon dynasty had become extinct, the Polish kings for nearly two centuries were chosen in free elections attended by the majority of Polish noblemen. At that time absolute monarchies had been alredy dominating in Europe. Against their background the social structure of Polish Commonwealth was distinguished by a relatively democratic character which also positively influenced political and social relations. This was the period of relative liberties and tolerance that lasted till the time of wars tormenting Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The reign of the last Polish monarch, King Stanislaw August Poniatowski, was quite for tunate as regards our parliamentary system. This highly educated ruler and the great admirer of Enlightenment made more than one effort to save the Commonwealth through the introduction of political, economic and military reforms. The Great Seym (1788-92) lent him a hand, and its greatest achievement was passing the Constitution of the 3rd of May in 1791; it was the world’s second written constitution, the first being that of the United States. The Constitution delineated rights and obligations of all citizens and outlined the government’s responsibility and organisation. The end of World War I was also the beginning of the Polish Second Republic – Poland regained its independence in November 1918. Main state institutions were soon established. The new fundamental law known as the Little Constitution was passed in the diet known as the Legislative Seym in 1919. The constitution made the government of the reborn country legitimate. Two years later, the full-fledged version of the constitution was passed. It introduced the republican political system and the principle of national sovereignty exercised through the deputies to the Seym. Besides, the constitution confirmed such other principles as the proportional representation in the Seym, the division of power and the parliamentary control of government. The last ten years of independent Poland were marked by the return to traditions of the European parliamentary system: free elections to the Seym and Senate were held, and the new constitution was passed by the national assembly. Poland became again a true parliamentary democracy.
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