Direct Presidential Election in the Czech Republic: The Rise of Tribunes?

0577893 - ÚSP 2024 RIV CZ eng J - Journal Article
Géryk, Jan - Halamka, T.
Direct Presidential Election in the Czech Republic: The Rise of Tribunes?
Acta politologica. Roč. 15, č. 3 (2023), s. 4-30. E-ISSN 1803-8220
Institutional support: RVO:68378122
Keywords : tribunate * tribune function * Czech president * direct election * presidential election * mixed government
OECD category: Law
Method of publishing: Open access
https://acpo.vedeckecasopisy.cz/publicFiles/002723.pdf

The debate about the direct election of the Czech president within the fields of political sci- ence and constitutional law has been almost unanimously sceptical about the introduction of the popular vote. This article offers a contrary perspective developed through theorising a potential tribune function of the Czech presidents. We investigate the workings of the original office of the Roman tribunate, the place of tribune function as a democratic ele- ment within the classical accounts of the mixed constitution, and its revival in modern po- litical theory and political sociology. We argue that the popular vote increased the tribune potential of the Czech presidency to channel Czech democracy’s discontent. If some ma- jor deficiencies of the direct vote are reformed, such as the polarising two-round electoral system, the president-tribune could constitute a popularly established check on MPs, the government, and other elites. In such a case, the introduction of the direct election could be viewed not as a systemic flaw but as an integrative feature strengthening the system of checks and balances.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0346979