Debating the legislature? Analyzing presidential participation in parliamentary sessions

Presidents across different types of political systems deliver annual speeches on the state of the nation to the legislature. However, only few presidents have the right to take the floor beyond such occasions. This paper explores the hitherto under-researched constitutional prerogative of select presidents to participate in parliamentary debates and address the legislature at their discretion. Based on a comprehensive examination of parliamentary minutes in Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia, 1990-2020, the paper maps and analyses presidential engagement with the legislature through speeches and interpellations. The analysis shows remarkable cross-country differences in frequency, content, and length of remarks. Thereby, patterns are largely reflective of political circumstances, institutional configurations, and presidential leadership styles. However, the analysis also highlights the difficulties in formulating more general theory. The findings contribute to research on strategic speechmaking in legislatures; furthermore, the paper offers new perspectives for the study of presidential activism and president-legislative relations in contemporary democracies.