Still Strong? Evolution of President’s Powers in the context of Constitutional Change in Finland and Poland

Both Finland and Poland have a long tradition of strong presidential power dating back to the interwar period. Finland was the first country in Europe which has based its regime on the semi-presidential system. Poland adopted a similar construction after 1989. However, in the 1990s both states went through a parliamentarisation of their political systems. Thought it is difficult to indicate mutual inspiration or influences between the authors of the reforms, new constitutions went into force roughly at the same time, and took the same direction of changes. The head of state lost a significant part of its competence, mainly in favour of the government yet at the same time gained legitimization through being elected directly by the citizens. As a result, the President remains an important element of the political system and his or her popularity in the electorate does not allow politicians, parties in the parliament and the government to exclude the President from the decisive process. Both states have also joined the European Union in the recent past, which has affected the relation between the President and government. Our intention is to trace the constitutional changes in both states, considering the different starting points on the one, and current regulations on the other hand. Subsequently, we will review the President’s competence. Basing on the analysis of the regulations and political practice we will diagnose the real position of the President in the executive, and against the other branches, in order to answer whether he or she remains a strong political figure. This unusual comparison referring to a constitutional institution growing out of a completely different political tradition, and as a consequence of different historical experiences, may constitute an strong voice in the discussion on the importance of the head of state (President) in the contemporary West-European democracy.