Issue published: 30 September 2012

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Maďarský volební systém jako záruka stability vlád?

Vratislav Havlík, p. 7–21

Abstract: The article traces the impacts of the Hungarian electoral system (valid till 2011) on the party system. The author analyses primarily the nationalistic conflict line with its negative impact on the party system. In this context, the author argues that the presence of nationalism in the party system is the basis for a potential disagreement in governance. Consequently, Hungarian nationalism occasionally produces anti-system parties that are immune against the majority impacts of the electoral system. In addition, the article will analyse the new electoral system, which is valid from 2012 and will trace the possible different impacts on the party system after the next elections. In this context, the article tries to answer the question concerning the future stability of coalition governance in Hungary based onthe combination of the nationalistic conflict line and the new electoral system.

Keywords: Hungarian governance, Hungarian electoral system, Jobbik, MIÉP, nationalistic conflict line, Hungarian party system

Slovenské parlamentní volby 2010: od změny vlády k předčasným volbám 

Petr Just, p. 22–33

Abstract: The article deals with the Slovak parliamentary elections held in June 2010. It first analyses the political situation prior to the elections, focusing on the position of relevant political parties in the system. It is followed by an analysis of the general election results and outcomes. The text focuses on the changes in the party system brought about by the 2010 elections, especially the reason for the withdrawal of two traditional parties from the parliament. It also focuses on the formation of the new coalition government. In its final part, the text looks at the stability of the coalition cabinet and the reason for its failure in autumn 2011. The failure of the coalition not only led to problems on the political scene, but also affected the constitutional framework as the then efficient constitutional articles did not provide a clear interpretation on how to act in the case of a cabinet losing a vote of confidence.

Keywords: Slovakia, elections, political parties, SMER-SD, SDKÚ-DS

Palikotovo hnutí v kontextu polských parlamentních voleb 2011

Michal Kubát, p. 34–51

Abstract: An entirely new political party – Palikot‘s Movement – succeeded in the Polish parliamentary elections held in autumn 2011. The aim of my paper is to introduce this new party (and its leader) in the context of the Polish party system, with a particular emphasis on its numerous unsual features. Moreover, my article analyses causes of this party´s success and highlights potential risks associated with its future development. My analysis is based on selected key theoretical studies of political parties and party systems (especially the terms left and right and their various connotations) and on original (i.e. Polish) information sources.

Keywords: Poland, parliamentary elections 2011, Palikot’s Movement

Podobnost institucionálních výběrů a podobnost výsledků? Příklad Slovinska a České republiky

Ladislav Cabada a Alenka Krašovec, p. 52–80

Abstract: The aim of the article is to analyse institutional choice in the Czech Republic and Slovenia after the fall of non-democratic regimes and the influence of such selection in different fields. The development and characteristics of the party system and government formation as well as their functioning are included into the analysis as the main indicators. The comparative analysis includes more than two decades of democratic development in both cases. As regards the institutional choices, particularly the electoral system, our analysis identified similar approaches in both countries. Significant convergences and similarities between the countries were indicated mainly regarding the development of the party system and its characteristics (we detected the electoral threshold as the main factor which influences the party system differences) while, on the other hand, government building and coalition formation show distinctive differences. In the last part of the article we analyse the last parliamentary elections in both countries, bringing some signs of innovation, some of them similar in both cases.

Keywords: institutional choice, electoral system, party systems, coalitions, governments, Czech Republic, Slovenia

Dvacet let politiky sněmovních volebních reforem v České republice, 1990–2010

Jakub Charvát, p. 81–123

Abstract: The presented paper focuses on twenty years of the politics of electoral system change in Czechoslovakia (1990–1992), on the federal level, and national level, respectively, and later in the Czech Republic, on the national level. The paper identifies three stages of the Czech politics of electoral system change. The first stage is connected with the period of institutional changes implemented during the process of democratic transition in Czechoslovakia, from the very beginning of 1990 to the parliamentary elections held in June 1992. The second stage took place between the years 1998 and 2002. And finally, the third stage is connected with the electoral reform process conducted by Mirek Topolánek´s goverment from the very end of 2006 to March 2009. The differences among these three stages, introduced in this paper, are especially: the form of the discussions, the arguments for the electoral system change and its goals.

Keywords: Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic, electoral system change, electoral engineering, House of Deputies, proportional representation.

Personalizace volebního systému – případ Poslanecké sněmovny Parlamentu ČR

Petr Jurek, p. 124–140

Abstract: The article focuses on the analysis of the personalisation of the electoral system used in the Czech National Council and Chamber of Deputies elections between 1990 until 2010. The main aim of the analysis is to answer the question if the process of the personalisation of the electoral system has taken place in the Czech case in the aforementioned period. At first, the article describes the concepts of the personalisation of politics and the personalisation of electoral systems. Then, key indicators of the personalisation of electoral systems are evaluated in the case in question. The main conclusion is that although the proportional list system used in observed elections doesn’t embody strong personalisation in itself, there are convincing marks of a trend toward personalisation within the development of the electoral rules.

Keywords: personalisation of electoral system, electoral system, preferential vote, district magnitude, Czech elections

Volby v České republice v roce 2010: fenoménnových stran TOP09 a VV

Jan Bureš, p. 141–151

Abstract: This article presents an analysis of the elections to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament in 2010 and is mainly concentrated on new political subjects. The analysis is based mainly on the theoretical concept of the institutionalisation of political parties. The author shows, that the key factors of voters‘ decision making in 2010 were a tendency to prefer new subjects, promising the vindication of political life from corruption on one side, and also subjects, which critised the present policy of financial debt on the other side. The author observes in their analysis of the 2010-election results key phenomenons such as the change in the behaviour of voters or the more frequent usage of preferential votes as well as the more obvious influence of the factors of personalisation and localisation on Czech Politics. The author shows, that the elections in 2010, from a long-term perspective, will be marked as "protest elections“, because voters demonstrated (to a much greater extent than before) their actual predominant frustration (dissatisfaction) with the system of Czech political parties, mainly with the then present situation of established political parties.

Keywords: public affairs, TOP09, personalisation of politics, localisation of politics, election campaign, exculpatory party, populism, protest elections

Negativní kampaň České strany sociálně demokratické v parlamentních volbách 2010

Lucie Šatrová, p. 152–168

Abstract: In recent years the development of political marketing in the Czech Republic shows an increasing tendency for negative electoral campaigns to become a rather frequent tactic. The 2010 elections are directly associated with an utmost boom of negative campaigns in the Czech Republic. The Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) offers the strongest negation in the matter of visualisation in their campaign, which has subsequently grown more financially demanding. The aim to frame the opposition parties’ actions and topics in order to use the mood of society to somebody’s advantage has once again become an inseparable part of the election fight. This text introduces a case study of the ČSSD negative campaign in the 2010 parliamentary elections. The negation indicator is represented by a quantitative data collection of selected negative outputs of the ČSSD in contrast with the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) which is the second strongest political party within the Czech party system framework.

Keywords: negative campaign, Czech Social Democratic Party, Civic Democratic Party, negative outputs

RECENZE

Ladislav Cabada: “Nepolitické” vlády jako výzkumné téma