The Question of Conducting Direct Elections of the President in the Czech Republic (A Live Issue for Already 20 Years) Cover Image

Čekijos Respublikos Prezidento tiesioginių rinkimų įgyvendinimo klausimas (aktualus jau 20 metų)
The Question of Conducting Direct Elections of the President in the Czech Republic (A Live Issue for Already 20 Years)

Author(s): Jan Kudrna
Subject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence
Published by: Mykolas Romeris University
Keywords: constitutional law; president; head of state; direct elections; constitutional system; division of powers; check and balances; Czech Republic

Summary/Abstract: The Czech Republic today belongs to the minority of European republics whose presidents are elected indirectly. It is a paradox that, even when direct election of the President has stable support not only of the majority of Czech society but also of the majority of parliamentary parties, this issue is constantly only discussed. Should direct election gain passage in the Czech Republic, there are formally better preconditions for this than there were in the past. With regard to the fact that a change in the manner of the election of the Head of State hides in itself the potential to impact the functioning of the whole constitutional system, it is worth it to follow how this problem conceived in the Czech Republic. This article is devoted to the standing of the President of the Republic in the contemporary Czech constitutional system and to considerations about direct election from the year 1918 to the present. Attention is also devoted to the difficulties which it is necessary to come to terms with during a potential change in the manner of the election of the President if the current balance of powers between the constitutional organs is to remain preserved.

  • Issue Year: 18/2011
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 1295-1321
  • Page Count: 27
  • Language: English