This article is part of the series Politics of Poland

Constitution

President Sejm Senate

Prime Minister Council of Ministers Ministries

Law Supreme Court Constitutional Tribunal State Tribunal Supreme Administrative Court Supreme Chamber of Control Attorney General Ombudsman

Political Parties: LPR PC PD PiS PO PSL SDPL SLD SRP UP

Elections Presidential (after 1989): 1990 1995 2000 2005 Parliamentary (after 1989): 1989 1991 1993 1997 2001 2005 European Parliament: 2004 Polish referenda Local elections

See also Economy Foreign relations History Military

The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2 April 1997 was Poland's first post-communist constitution. It replaced the temporary amendments put into place in 1992 designed to reverse the effects of communism, establishing the nation as a democratic republic. It was adopted by the National Assembly of Poland (Zgromadzenie Narodowe of the Polish Sejm) on April 2, 1997, approved by a national referendum on May 25, 1997, and came into effect on October 17, 1997. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The current government structure consists of a council of ministers led by a Prime Minister, typically chosen from a majority coalition in the bicameral legislatures lower house. ... Flag of the President of Poland The President of the Republic of Poland plays a very important part in the Polish legal system. ... This article is about the lower chamber of Polish parliament. ... The Senate (Senat) is the upper house of the Polish parliament. ... The Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland represents the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet) and directs their work, supervises territorial self-government within the guidelines and in ways described in the Constitution and other legislation, and acts as the superior for all government administration workers (heading the public service... The Council of Ministers (cabinet), or Polish government, consists of ministers, heads of departments of ministerial rank, and heads of central institutions. ... // Existing ministries Ministerstwo Finansów (Ministry of Finances) Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Ministerstwo Spraw WewnÄ™trznych i Administracji (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration) Ministerstwo SprawiedliwoÅ›ci (Ministry of Justice) Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej (Ministry of National Defence) Ministerstwo Rolnictwa i Rozwoju Wsi ( Ministry of Agriculture and Rural... The Supreme Court of Poland supervises the adjudication in: General courts - these are district, voivodeship, and appeal courts. ... The Constitutional Tribunal of Poland is a judicial body established to resolve disputes on the constitutionality of the activities of state institutions; its main task is to supervise the compliance of statutory law with the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. ... The State Tribunal of Poland is the judicial body, which rules on the constitutional liability of people holding the highest offices of state. ... The Supreme Administrative Court of Poland (Polish: Naczelny SÄ…d Administracyjny) is the court of last resort in administrative cases i. ... The Supreme Chamber of Control (Polish: Najwyższa Izba Kontroli, short: NIK) is one of the oldest state institutions in Poland, created under the Second Republic on February 7, 1919, barely 3 months after the restoration of Polands independence. ... List of the Polish Ombudsmen: Ewa Łętowska - November 19, 1987 - February 12, 1992 Tadeusz ZieliÅ„ski - February 13, 1992 - May 7, 1996 Adam ZieliÅ„ski - May 8, 1996 - June 29, 2000 Andrzej Zoll - from June 30, 2000 Official site Categories: Poland-related stubs | Politics of Poland ... Political parties in Poland lists political parties in Poland. ... League of Polish Families (Liga Polskich Rodzin) is a right-wing and populist opposition party in the Polish Parliament. ... Partia Centrum (Centre Party) is a centrist, moderately conservative political party in Poland. ... The Democratic Party () is a liberal party in Poland, publicly announced on February 28 and formally established on May 9, 2005 as an enlargement of the Freedom Union (Unia WolnoÅ›ci), which it legally succeeds. ... Law and Justice (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) (PiS) is a Polish central-right political party, established in 2001, by the Kaczyński brothers: Lech, the former justice minister and the current mayor of the capital, Warsaw, and Jarosław, who is the President of the party. ... Citizens Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) is a Polish conservative-liberal political party, modelled after the two main American parties. ... The Polish Peasant Party (Polish: Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe) is a political party in Poland. ... Social Democracy of Poland (Socjaldemokracja Polska, SDPL) is a new leftist political party in Poland founded in April 2004 as a splinter group from Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej (it should not be confused with a former party Socialdemocracy of the Republic of Poland - SdRP). ... Alliance of the Democratic Left (Polish: Sojusz Lewicy Demokratycznej, SLD) is one of the main Polish social democratic political parties. ... Self-Defense of the Polish Republic (Polish: Samoobrona Rzeczypospolitiej Polskiej, SRP) is a political party and trade union in Poland. ... Labor Union (Unia Pracy) is a Polish political party. ... Politics of Poland Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Poland ... Presidential elections were held in Poland on Sunday November 25 (1st round), and Sunday December 9, 1990 (2n round). ... Presidential elections were held in Poland on Sunday November 5 (1st round), and Sunday November 19, 1990 (2n round). ... Presidential elections were held in Poland on Sunday October 8. ... Presidential elections will be held in Poland on October 9, 2005. ... Sejm election Senat election Categories: Politics of Poland | 1991 elections | Elections in Poland | 1991 in Poland ... Sejm election German Minority - 4 MPs Senat election Categories: Politics of Poland | 1993 elections | Elections in Poland | 1993 in Poland ... Sejm election German Minority - 2 MPs Senat election Categories: Politics of Poland | 1997 elections | Elections in Poland ... Sejm election German Minority - 2 MPs Senat election Categories: Politics of Poland | 2001 elections | Elections in Poland ... A general election to the Sejm is not scheduled yet, but there are two options: in spring, probably June 19, 2005 (or other Sunday in June) as it was promised in electoral campaign by winning party SLD, now as the support for ruling party goes down they opt for the... Elections to the European Parliament were held in Poland on June 13, 2004. ... There have been several referenda in history of Poland. ... Poland became a full member of NATO in March 1999, and of the European Union in May 2004. ... In the first centuries of its emergence in the 10th century, the Polish nation was led by a series of strong rulers who converted the Poles to Christendom, created a strong Central European state, and integrated Poland into European culture. ... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Post-Soviet states, also commonly known as former Soviet republics, are the independent nations which split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its breakup in 1991. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a popular movement. ... The National Assembly (Zgromadzanie Narodowe) is the name of both chambers of the Polish parliament, the Diet (Sejm) and the Senate, when sitting in joint session. ... The National Assembly (Zgromadzanie Narodowe) is the name of both chambers of the Polish parliament, the Diet (Sejm) and the Senate, when sitting in joint session. ... This article is about the lower chamber of Polish parliament. ... 2 April is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Poland has had numerous previous constitutional acts during its long history. Historically most significant is probably the May Constitution adopted on 3rd May of 1791, the second oldest constitution of the world. In the first centuries of its emergence in the 10th century, the Polish nation was led by a series of strong rulers who converted the Poles to Christendom, created a strong Central European state, and integrated Poland into European culture. ... May 3rd Constitution (painting by Jan Matejko, 1891). ... May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Current constitution (1997)

New character of the nation

The five years after 1992 were spent in dialogue about the new character of Poland. The nation had changed significantly since the days of the post-Second World War Stalinist puppet state, the People's Republic of Poland, which was superseded in 1990. A new consensus was needed on how to acknowledge the awkward parts of Polish history; the transformation from a single party political system into a democratic one and from communism towards a free market economic system; and the rise of pluralism alongside Poland's historically Roman Catholic culture. 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 1879[1] – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader of the Soviet Union. ... A puppet state is a state whose government, though notionally of the same culture as the governed people - owes its existence (or other major debt) to being installed, supported or controlled by a more powerful entity, typically a foreign power. ... The Peoples Republic of Poland (Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was the official name of Poland from 1952 to 1989, during its period of rule by the Communist party, officially called the Polish United Workers Party (Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza, or PZPR). ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The people of Poland took pride in their long history, filled with the struggle to get, keep, and regain freedom—the main value for Poles. ... A single-party state or one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system and form of government where only a single political party dominates the government and no opposition parties are allowed. ... A political system is a social system of politics and government. ... Democracy is a form of government under which the power to alter the laws and structures of government lies, ultimately, with the citizenry. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a popular movement. ... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... An economic system is a mechanism which deals with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services in a particular society. ... In the social sciences, pluralism is a framework of interaction in which groups show sufficient respect and tolerance of each other, that they fruitfully coexist and interact without conflict or assimilation. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Look up Culture in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikinews has a related story: Culture and entertainment Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cultural Development in Antiquity Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Culture and Civilization in Modern Times Classificatory system for cultures and civilizations, by Dr. Sam Vaknin Categories: Culture...

Casting off the old

The attitude toward the past was articulated in the preamble, in which the citizens of Poland established a Republic "Recalling the best traditions of the First and the Second Republic, Obliged to bequeath to future generations all that is valuable from our over one thousand years' heritage ... Mindful of the bitter experiences of the times when fundamental freedoms and human rights were violated in our Homeland, ...". Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Second Polish Republic 1921-1939 The Second Polish Republic is an unofficial name applied to the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. When the borders of the state were fixed in 1921, it had an area of 388. ...

Many articles were written explicitly to rectify the wrongs of previous governments. In response to communist-era collective farming, Article 23 established the family farm as the basis of the agricultural economy. Article 74 requires public officials to pursue ecologically sound public policy. Articles 39 and 40 prohibit the practices of forced medical experimentation, forbiding torture and corporal punishment, while Articles 50 and 59 acknowledge the inviolability of the home, the right to form trade unions, and to strike. Collective farming is an organizational unit in agriculture in which peasants are not paid wages, but rather receive a share of the farms net output. ... The family farm is a farm owned and operated by a family. ... An official (from the Latin Officialis, person -or object- related to an officium, see that article) is, in the primary sense, someone who holds an office (i. ... The Iron Maiden of Nuremberg was a famous torture device Torture is the infliction of severe physical or psychological pain as an expression of cruelty, a means of intimidation, deterrent or punishment, or as a tool for the extraction of information or confessions. ... Corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended as correction or punishment, (corporal means of, relating to, or affecting the body). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Tradition versus pluralism

Those involved in drafting the document were not interested in creating a de facto Catholic Poland. That said, nods were given in the direction of the church, to the effect of protecting common morality. For example, in Article 18, marriage is granted the protection of the state, and in Article 53, freedom of religion, religious education, and religious upbringing are protected.

The preamble emphasizes freedom of religion or disbelief: "We, the Polish Nation - all citizens of the Republic, Both those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, As well as those not sharing such faith but respecting those universal values as arising from other sources...". Article 25 provides further protection, that public officials "shall be impartial in matters of personal conviction, whether religious or philosophical, or in relation to outlooks on life, and shall ensure their freedom of expression within public life."

Other aspects include the affirmation of the political equality of man and woman in Article 32, and the affirmation of freedom of ethnic minorities to advance and develop their culture, in Article 35.

Preamble

Having regard for the existence and future of our Homeland,
Which recovered, in 1989, the possibility of a sovereign and democratic determination of its fate,
We, the Polish Nation - all citizens of the Republic,
Both those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty,
As well as those not sharing such faith but respecting those universal values as arising from other sources,
Equal in rights and obligations towards the common good - Poland,
Beholden to our ancestors for their labors, their struggle for independence achieved at great sacrifice, for our culture rooted in the Christian heritage of the Nation and in universal human values,
Recalling the best traditions of the First and the Second Republic,
Obliged to bequeath to future generations all that is valuable from our over one thousand years' heritage,
Bound in community with our compatriots dispersed throughout the world,
Aware of the need for cooperation with all countries for the good of the Human Family,
Mindful of the bitter experiences of the times when fundamental freedoms and human rights were violated in our Homeland,
Desiring to guarantee the rights of the citizens for all time, and to ensure diligence and efficiency in the work of public bodies,
Recognizing our responsibility before God or our own consciences,
Hereby establish this Constitution of the Republic of Poland as the basic law for the State, based on respect for freedom and justice, cooperation between the public powers, social dialogue as well as on the principle of subsidiarity in the strengthening the powers of citizens and their communities.
We call upon all those who will apply this Constitution for the good of the Third Republic to do so paying respect to the inherent dignity of the person, his or her right to freedom, the obligation of solidarity with others, and respect for these principles as the unshakeable foundation of the Republic of Poland. Rzeczpospolita (pronounced: , zhech-poss-POH-lee-tah) is a Polish calque translation of the Latin expression res publica (public affair). It has been used in Poland since at least 16th century, originally to denote any democratic state. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Second Polish Republic 1921-1939 The Second Polish Republic is an unofficial name applied to the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. When the borders of the state were fixed in 1921, it had an area of 388. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Historical constitutions

Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Main article: Golden Freedom

Prior to 1791 Poland, as all but one country in the world, did not have a constitution in the modern meaning of this word. However, it did have a number of laws which defined the Polish system of government and thus may be described as constitutional. The earliest such acts were so-called privileges granted by kings to the Polish nobility, known as szlachta. These subsequent privileges would gradually strengthen the power of the szlachta and erode that of the monarch. The state formed by Boleslaus I of Poland in 1025 during his coronation. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Golden Liberty (latin: Aurea Libertas, Polish: Złota Wolność, sometimes used in plural form; this phenomena can be also reffered to as Golden Freedoms, Nobles Democracy or Nobles Commonwealth, Polish: Rzeczpospolita Szlachecka) refers to a unique democratic political system in the Kingdom of Poland and later, after the Union of Lublin... Polish Szlachcic. ...

The first major privilege was granted at Kassa (Polish: Koszyce, present-day Košice) by Louis Andegavin on September 17, 1374. In order to guarantee the Polish throne for his daughter Jadwiga, he agreed to abolish all but one tax the szlachta was supposed to pay. The Koszyce Privilege also forbade the king to grant official posts and major Polish castles to foreign knights, and obliged him to pay indemnities to nobles injured or taken captive during a war outside Polish borders. ... KoÅ¡ice (German: Kaschau, Hungarian: Kassa, Latin: Cassovia) is Slovakias second largest city. ... Košice (German: Kaschau, Hungarian: Kassa) is Slovakias second largest city. ... Louis the Great Louis I (the Great), Lajos, Ludwik WÄ™gierski (1326 - 1382) became king of Hungary in 1342 at the death of his father. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... Events King Gongmin is assassinated and King U ascends to the Goryeo throne Births Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey. ... This article is about 14th century queen and saint. ...

The privileges granted by Ladislaus II at Brześć Kujawski (April 25, 1425), Jedlnia (March 4, 1430) and Kraków (January 9, 1433) introduced or confirmed the rule known as Neminem captivabimus nisi iure victum which prevented a noble from being arrested unless found guilty. On May 2, 1447 the same king issued the Wilno Privilege which gave the Lithuanian boyars the same rights as those possessed by the Polish szlachta. Wladislaus II on Jan Matejkos painting Wladislaus II Jagiello (Polish Władysław II Jagiełło, Lithuanian Jogaila, and in Belarusian as Jahajla (Ягайла)) (c. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... Events Foundation of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Births Deaths March 17 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Ashikaga shogun July 21 - Manuel II Palaeologus, Byzantine Emperor Categories: 1425 ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... Events May 23 - Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne The Ottoman Empire captures Thessalonica from the Venetians Year in topics 1430 in art Births Robert Morton, English composer, approximate date Antoine Busnois, Burgundian composer, approximate date Deaths Christine de Pizan... Motto: none Voivodship Lesser Poland Municipal government Rada miasta Kraków Mayor Jacek Majchrowski Area 326,8 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 757,500 (2004 est. ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Births June 23 - Francis II, Duke of Brittany Kettil Karlsson Vasa, later Regent of Sweden. ... Neminem captivabimus is a legal term in Polish historical law. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... Events March 6 - Nicholas V becomes Pope. ... A boyar (also spelt bojar; Romanian: boier) was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Ruthenian (Russian) and Romanian aristocracy, second only to the ruling princes, from the 10th through the 17th century. ...

In September and October of 1454 Casimir IV granted the Cerkwica and Nieszawa Privileges which forbade the king to set new taxes, laws or draft nobles for war unless he had the consent of local diets (sejmiki). These privileges were demanded by the szlachta as a compensation for their participation in the Thirteen Years' War. As a compensation for the unsuccessful incursion on Moldavia which had decimated the szlachta, John Albert granted the Piotrków Privilege on April 26, 1496 which prohibited serfs from leaving their owners' land, and banned city dwellers from buying land. September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Events February 4 - In the Thirteen Years War, the Secret Council of the Prussian Confederacy sends a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master. ... Reign From 1446 until June 7, 1492 Coronation On June 25, 1447 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents WÅ‚adyslaw II JagieÅ‚Å‚o Zofia HolszaÅ„ska Consorts Elżbieta Rakuszanka (1438-1505) Children with Elżbieta Rakuszanka WÅ‚adysÅ‚aw II JagielloÅ„czyk Jadwiga Jagiellonka... The Thirteen Years War (also called the War of the Cities) started out as an uprising by Prussian cities and the local nobility with the goal of gaining independence from the Teutonic Knights. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... Reign From September 23, 1492 until June 17, 1501 Coronation On September 23, 1492 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents Kazimierz IV JagielloÅ„czyk Elżbieta Rakuszanka Consorts None Children None Date of Birth December 27, 1459 Place of Birth Kraków, Poland Date of... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... Events January 3 - Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tests a flying machine. ... Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. ...

In the spring of 1505 king Alexander signed a bill adopted by the Diet of Radom known as Nihil novi nisi commune consensu ("Nothing new without a common agreement"). The Nihil novi act transferred legislative power from the king to the Diet (Sejm), or Polish parliament. This date marked the beginning of the First Rzeczpospolita, the period of a szlachta-run "republic". Events March 5 - Papal dispensation issued for the marriage of Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon June 27 - Henry VIII of England repudiates his engagement to Catherine of Aragon, at his fathers command King Alexander_of_Poland signed Nihil_novi act - Poland became Nobles Democracy Poland prohibits peasants from leaving... Reign From December 12, 1501 until August 19, 1506 Coronation On December 12, 1501 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents Kazimierz IV JagielloÅ„czyk Elżbieta Rakuszanka Consorts Helena Children None Date of Birth August 5, 1461 Place of Birth Kraków, Poland Date of... This article is about the lower chamber of Polish parliament. ... Motto: none Voivodship Masovian Municipal government Rada miejska Radomia Mayor ZdzisÅ‚aw Marcinkowski Area 111,7 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 228 700 - 2047/km² Founded City rights - - Latitude Longitude 51°24 N 21°10 E Area code +48 48 Car plates WR Twin towns - Municipal Website Radom (pronounce: [rad... Nihil novi is a common term for Nihil novi nisi commune consensu (latin nothing new without the consensus of all), a 1505 legal act of Poland, also known as nothing about us without us. The phrase nihil novi is also used as short for the phrase, Sub sole nihil novi... This article is about the lower chamber of Polish parliament. ... Rzeczpospolita (pronounced: , zhech-poss-POH-lee-tah) is a Polish calque translation of the Latin expression res publica (public affair). It has been used in Poland since at least 16th century, originally to denote any democratic state. ...

Until the death of Sigismund Augustus, the last king of the Jagiellonian dynasty, monarchs could only be elected from within the royal family. However, starting from 1573, practically any Polish noble or foreigner of royal blood could become a Polish-Lithuanian monarch. Every newly elected king was supposed to sign two documents - the Pacta conventa ("agreed pacts") - a confirmation of the king's pre-election promises, and Henrican articles (artykuły henrykowskie, named after the first freely elected king, Henry of Valois). The latter document served as a virtual Polish constitution and contained the basic laws of the Commonwealth: Reign From April 1, 1548 until July 6, 1572 Coronation On September 15, 1697 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents Zygmunt I Stary Bona Sforza Consorts Elżbieta Habsburzanka Barbara Radziwiłł Katarzyna Austriaczka Barbara Giżycka Children with Barbara Giżycka Barbara Date of Birth August 1, 1520 Place... The Jagiellons were a royal dynasty which reigned in some Central European countries between the 14th and 16th century. ... Events January - articles of Warsaw Confederation signed, sanctioning religious freedom in Poland. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... External links From Polish online encyclopedia Categories: Poland-related stubs | Polish history ... Henrician Articles, also known as Henrycian Articles (Polish ArtykuÅ‚y henrykowskie), contained the most important ideals of governance and constitutional laws in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in form of 21 Articles written and voted for by the szlachta in 1573 during the times of interregnum in the town of Kamien... Henry III (French: Henri III; Polish: Henryk III Walezy; September 19, 1551 – August 2, 1589) was King of Poland (1573-1574) and subsequently King of France (1574-1589). ...

• free election of kings;
• religious tolerance;
• the Diet to be gathered every two years;
• foreign policy controlled by the Diet;
• a royal advisory council chosen by the Diet;
• official posts restricted to Polish and Lithuanian nobles;
• taxes and monopolies set up by the Diet only;
• nobles' right to disobey the king should he break any of these laws.

In the 18th century, the introduction of Cardinal Laws in 1768 was an important step towards codyfing the existing Polish law. The constitution of Poland provides for freedom of religion, and the Polish government generally respects this right in practice. ...

May Constitution, 1791

Main article: May Constitution of Poland

May 3rd Constitution (painting by Jan Matejko, 1891). King Stanisław August (left, in regal ermine-trimmed cloak), enters St. John's Cathedral, where Sejm deputies will swear to uphold the new Constitution; in background, Warsaw's Royal Castle, where the Constitution has just been adopted.

The Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791 (Polish: Konstytucja Trzeciego Maja) was Europe's first modern codified national constitution, and the world's second after the United States Constitution (which was written in 1787 and came into force in 1789). It was instituted by the Government Act (Polish: Ustawa rządowa) adopted on that date by the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was designed to redress long-standing political defects of the federative Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and its Golden Liberty. The Constitution introduced political equality between townspeople and nobility (szlachta) and placed the peasants under the protection of the government,^[1] thus mitigating the worst abuses of serfdom. The Constitution abolished pernicious parliamentary institutions such as the liberum veto, which at one time had placed the sejm at the mercy of any deputy who might choose, or be bribed by an interest or foreign power, to undo all the legislation that had been passed by that sejm. The May 3rd Constitution sought to supplant the existing anarchy fostered by some of the country's reactionary magnates, with a more egalitarian and democratic constitutional monarchy. May 3rd Constitution (painting by Jan Matejko, 1891). ... Source: from Polish wiki: http://pl. ... Source: from Polish wiki: http://pl. ... Categories: Stub | Polish painters | 1838 births | 1893 deaths ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Binomial name Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758 The Stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. ... St. ... This article is about the lower chamber of Polish parliament. ... A deputy can be: In politics, a member of many national legislatures, particularly those legislative bodies styled Chambers of Deputies. ... Royal Castle in Warsaw Royal Castle after the Warsaw Uprising Royal Castle in Warsaw (Polish Zamek Królewski), is the royal palace and official residence of the Polish monarchs, in Warsaw. ... May 3rd Constitution (painting by Jan Matejko, 1891). ... World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... For linguistic codification, see codification (linguistics). ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A statute is a formal, written law of a country or state, written and enacted by its legislative authority, perhaps to then be ratified by the highest executive in the government, and finally published. ... This article is about the lower chamber of Polish parliament. ... The debating chamber or hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A federation (from the Latin fÅ“dus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... Golden Liberty (latin: Aurea Libertas, Polish: Złota Wolność, sometimes used in plural form; this phenomena can be also reffered to as Golden Freedoms, Nobles Democracy or Nobles Commonwealth, Polish: Rzeczpospolita Szlachecka) refers to a unique democratic political system in the Kingdom of Poland and later, after the Union of Lublin... Bourgeois at the end of the thirteenth century Bourgeois redirects here; for the composer with that name, see Derek Bourgeois. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... Polish Szlachcic. ... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: the 16th century was a good time for European peasants A peasant, from 15th... Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. ... Liberum veto (Latin: free veto) was a parliamentary device in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that allowed any deputy to a Sejm to force an immediate end to the current session and nullify all legislation already passed at it. ... This article is about the lower chamber of Polish parliament. ... A deputy can be: In politics, a member of many national legislatures, particularly those legislative bodies styled Chambers of Deputies. ... Bribery is the practice of offering a professional or an authority person money or other favours in order to circumvent ethics or other rules in a variety of situations. ... Legislation refers 1. ... Anarchy (New Latin anarchia, from Greek ανα–, no + αρχη, rule) is a term that has several usages. ... Reactionary (sometimes: reactionist; the term Reaction is used as a general term for the informal political grouping of reactionaries) is an epithet often applied to those seen to be on the Right of the political spectrum. ... For a wealthy or powerful business baron, executive, or tycoon, see business magnate Magnate is a title of nobility commonly used in Sweden, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and some other medieval empires. ... Egalitarianism is the moral doctrine that equality ought to prevail throughout society. ... The Elections and Parties Series Democracy Liberal democracy History of democracy Referenda Representative democracy Representation Voting Voting systems Elections Elections by country Elections by calender Electoral systems Politics Politics by country Political campaigns Political science Political philosophy Related topics Political parties Parties by country Parties by name Parties by ideology... A constitutional monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges a hereditary or elected monarch as head of state. ...

The adoption of the May 3rd Constitution provoked the active hostility of the Polish Commonwealth's neighbors. In the War in Defense of the Constitution, Poland was betrayed by its Prussian ally Frederick William II and defeated by the Imperial Russia of Catherine the Great, allied with the Targowica Confederation, a cabal of Polish magnates who opposed reforms that might weaken their influence. Despite the defeat, and the subsequent Second Partition of Poland, the May 3rd Constitution influenced later democratic movements in the world. It remained, after the demise of the Polish Republic in 1795, over the next 123 years of Polish partitions, a beacon in the struggle to restore Polish sovereignty. In the words of two of its co-authors, Ignacy Potocki and Hugo Kołłątaj, it was "the last will and testament of the expiring Fatherland." This conflict took place in 1792 between Poland and her ally the Kingdom of Prussia, on one side, and the Russian Empire on the other. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (German: Preußen or Preussen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: PrÅ«sai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad exclave of... Frederick William II (September 25, 1744 – November 16, 1797), king of Prussia, was known in German as Friedrich Wilhelm II. Frederick William was the son of Augustus William (the second son of King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia) and of Louise Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, sister of the wife of... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of Russian history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... H.I.M. Ekaterina II Aleksejevna the Great, Empress and Autocrat of all the Russias Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796 (O.S.)), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from June 28, 1762, to... Categories: Stub | Polish confederations ... The Partitions of Poland (Polish Rozbiór or Rozbiory Polski) happened in the 18th century and ended the existence of a sovereign state of Poland (or more correctly the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). ... ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Partitions of Poland (Polish Rozbiór or Rozbiory Polski) happened in the 18th century and ended the existence of a sovereign state of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... Noble Family Potocki Coat of Arms Piława Parents Eustachy Potocki Marianna Kątska Consorts Elżbieta Lubomirska Children with Elżbieta Lubomirska Krystyna Potocka Date of Birth February 28, 1750 Place of Birth Radzyn Podlaski Date of Death August 30, 1809 Place of Death Vienna Count Roman Ignacy Franciszek Potocki (generally known as... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

19th century

• Duchy of Warsaw, 1806
• Kingdom of Poland ,1815
• Free City of Kraków, 1815

Location Official languages Polish Established church Roman Catholic Capital Warsaw Largest City Warsaw Head of state Duke of Warsaw Area about 155,000 km² Population about 4,3 million Existed 1806 - 1814 The Duchy of Warsaw (Polish: Księstwo Warszawskie, Latin: Ducatus Varsoviae, French: Duche de Varsovie) was a Polish... The state formed by Boleslaus I of Poland in 1025 during his coronation. ... The Free City of Kraków (Polish: Wolne Miasto Kraków), also known as Republic of Kraków (Rzeczpospolita Krakowska), was a city-state created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and controlled by its three neighbors, Russia, Prussia and Austria until 1846. ...

Inter-war period

Second Polish Republic had three constitutions. They were, in historical order: Second Polish Republic 1921-1939 The Second Polish Republic is an unofficial name applied to the Republic of Poland between World War I and World War II. When the borders of the state were fixed in 1921, it had an area of 388. ...

• Little Constitution (or Small Constitution), 1919
• March Constitution, 1921
• April Constitution, 1935

The Second Polish Republic adopted the March Constitution of Poland on March 17, 1921, after ousting the occupation of the German/ Prussian forces in the 1918 Greater Poland Uprising, and avoiding conquest by the Soviets in the 1920 Polish-Soviet War . ... The April Constitution of Poland ( Polish Ustawa konstytucyjna 23 IV 1935) was the general law passed by the act of the Polish Sejm on April 23, 1935. ...

Post-war period until 1989

After the Second World War, Polish communists backed by Soviet Union took control over the Polish government and introduced their own constitutions. They were, in historical order: Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Polish communists can trace their origins to early 1900s and the works tor the first Polish Marxist, Stanisław Brzozowki (1878-1911). ...

• July Manifesto (PKWN Manifesto, 1944
• Little Constitution (or Small Constitution), 1947
• Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland 1952, see also Friendship with the USSR clause, 1976

The Manifesto The Manifesto of the Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKWN) was a political programme of the communist-led and Soviet-backed authorities of Poland created in 1944 in opposition to the legitimate Polish government. ...

Post-1989 period

Prior to the current 1997 Constitution, country was governed by the Small Constitution of 1992, which amended the main articles of the Stalinist Polish Constitution of 1952 and formed the legal basis of the Polish State between 1992 and 1997. Stalinism is a brand of political theory, and the political and economic system implemented by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. ...

See also

• List of national constitutions

// Codified constitutions Afghanistan Albania Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria -- titled Bundesverfassungsgesetz Brazil Canada (1982) Chile China, Peoples Republic of Hong Kong Macau Tibet China, Republic of - Taiwan Croatia Cuba Czech Republic Denmark Europe (not ratified) Finland France Germany -- titled Grundgesetz Greece India Iran Republic of Ireland Italy Japan Latvia...

References

• Chair of History of Polish Law, Jagiellonian University (in Polish)

External links

• English text of the Polish Constitution
• Overview
• New York University review