Course title: Political System of the Republic of Poland
Academic teacher: dr Katarzyna Rychlicka-Maraszek
Form of class: workshop
Number of hours: 30
Requirements for the credit: written test
Introduction, basic notions, periodisation
Notions: political system, constitution; essence, notion and features of the
Constitution; applicability of the Constitution; periodisation of the history of the
political system of Poland in 20th and 21st century: constitutions in between – war
period (March and April Constitutions); political system of the People’s Republic of
Poland under the Constitution of 1952.
Change of political regime in Poland after 1989
Origins and conclusions of the Round Table of 1989; constitutional amendments of
1989; elections of June 1989 and their consequences; Interim Constitution of 1992;
works on the Constitution of the 3rd Republic of Poland; emergence of the party
system in the period 1989 – 1999.
Guiding principles of the political system of the Republic of Poland
Notion of principles of political system; principle of the sovereignty of People;
principle of independence and sovereignty of the State; principle of democratic State
applying rule of law; principle of civil society; principle of the distribution of powers;
principle of social justice; principle of social market economy; principle of inherent
dignity of the human being
Constitutional status of the individual
Guiding principles of the status of the individual; subjects; addressees of rights and
freedoms; system of rights and freedoms in the Constitution of 1997; protection of
rights and freedoms; constitutional obligations of the individual
Electoral law: elections to the Sejm and the Senate, presidential elections
and elections to the European Parliament
Parliamentary elections in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2001; presidential elections in 1990,
1995, 2000; organisation of elections; submission of candidates; establishment of
poll results; validity of elections; election campaign; election finance
The Sejm and the Senate
Structure and procedures of the functioning of the Parliament; legal status of the MP
and the senator; functions of the Sejm and the Senate; internal organization of the
Sejm and the Senate; legislative procedures; the National Assembly.
Visit to the Sejm and the Senate, and, possibly attendance at the
commission session
President of the Republic of Poland
Origins of the restoration of the institution of the President of the Republic of Poland;
position of the President of the Republic of Poland in political system; competences
of the President of the RP; constitutional responsibility of the Head of State
Council of Ministers
Position of the Council of Ministers and the President of the Council of Ministers in
the political system; government structure; procedures of functioning of the Council
of Ministers; competences of the Council of Ministers; central government
administration
Legal regime of local government
Essence of local government; scope of action, tasks of local government entities;
control over the activities of local government
Courts and Tribunals
Constitutional position of the judiciary; the system of justice; National Council of the
Judiciary of Poland; Constitutional Tribunal; Tribunal of State
Authorities of State control and for defense of rights
Supreme Chamber of Control; Ombudsman; Commissioner’s for the Rights of the
Child, National Broadcasting Council
Poland in the European Union
Political system of Poland and European constitutional traditions; relations between
national and Community law; institutional aspects of relations between Poland and
EU
Selected bibliography:
Antoszewski A., Herbut R. (eds.), Polityka w Polsce w latach 90. Wybrane problemy,
Wrocław 1999
Działocha K. (ed.), Podstawowe problemy stosowania Konstytucji Rzeczpospolitej
Polskiej. Raport końcowy z badań, Warszawa 2006
Garlicki L., Polskie prawo konstytucyjne. Zarys wykładu, Warszawa 2007
(and recent editions)
The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2nd April 1997
Mojak R. (ed.), Ustrój konstytucyjny Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, Lublin 2000
Mojak R., Pozycja ustrojowa Prezydenta RP w świetle nowej Konstytucji RP,
"Państwo i Prawo", volume 11-12/1997.
Mołdawa T., Konstytucje polskie 1918-1998, Warszawa 1999
Sarnecki P., Funkcje i struktura Sejmu według nowej Konstytucji, "Państwo i Prawo",
volume 11-12/1997
Skrzydło W. (ed.), Polskie prawo konstytucyjne, Lublin 1994 (and recent editions)
Słomka T., Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej po 1989 r. Ujęcie porównawcze, Warszawa
2005
Winczorek P., Konstytucja RP a prawo wspólnotowe, „Państwo i Prawo”, volume
11/2004.
Ziembiński Z., Sprawiedliwość społeczna jako pojęcie prawne, Warszawa 1996
Żukowski A., System wyborczy do Sejmu i Senatu RP, Warszawa 2004
Source texts:
The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2nd April 1997
Electoral law for the Sejm and the Senate of 2001; electoral law for the European
Parliament of 2004; and Law on the Election of the Republic of Poland of 1990
Regulations of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland on the Tribunal of State (1982)
and the Law on the Constitutional Tribunal (1997)
Law of 4 September 1997 (with further amendments) on government administration
sections