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ANDRZEJBISZTYGA
thismoment,thestrengthoftheSenatedependsonthemajority,asspecifiedin
theConstitution,thatthepartyorcoalitioninpowerneedsinordertorejectthe
standpointoftheSenate.Currently,anabsolutemajorityisrequired,whichisin
linewiththegradationofthemajoritiesrequiredattheconsecutivestagesofthe
legislativeprocedure.First,theSejmpassesthebillwithanordinarymajorityof
votes,thenitneedsanabsolutemajoritytorejectthestandpointoftheSenate,
andfinallyrequiresathree-fifthsmajorityofthevotestoovercometheobjectll
vetoofthePresident.However,onecouldimagineadilerentmajorityrequired
torejectthestandpointoftheSenate,amajoritythatwouldbemorediIcultto
achieve.miswouldalwaysforcethepartyorthecoalitioninpowertomakean
elorttolookformorewidespreadsupportforitsinitiative.
Sometimes,proposalsofamendmentsareusedindiscordancewiththein-
tendedpurpose,i.e.,tocorrecttheerrorsinabilltheSejmwasfullyawareof,
but,inwishingnottoprolongtheprocedure,itpurposefullypassesadefective
bill,hopingconfidentlythattheSenatewillmakethenecessarycorrections.It
isanegativephenomenonthatdistortstheideaofthelegislativefunctionand
instrumentalizestheSenate.Itcouldbelimitedbyabandoningthepracticethat
thetermsoftheSejmandtheSenatecoincide,butthiswouldrequireamend-
mentstotheConstitution.DuringatermoftheSenate,thenumberofthepro-
posalsofamendmentsitproducesnumbersinthethousands.merelatedelort
cannotgounnoticed.
ASenatewithadilerentpoliticalcompositionthantheSejmwouldbemore
likelytocarryouttheroleofbridlingtheSejmaspartoftheseparationandbal-
anceofpowers.misobservationisespeciallyvitalinviewofthephenomenonof
overregulation,whichconcernsnotonlyPoland,butalsomanycontemporary
democracies.ItistruethatthePolishparliamentworksunderthepressureof
highsocialneedsintermsofquicklyevolvingsocialrelationships,butthispro-
ducesanegativesideelectofquickactions,whichleadstoconfusionandirregu-
laritiesinattheearlystagesofdraftingbills,orevenresultsinpassingbillsthat
containerrorsorinthenecessityofamendingstatutesevenbeforetheycome
intoelect.21misphenomenonshouldencouragediscussionontheadoptionof
asolutionorsolutionsstrengtheningtheroleoftheSenateincombatingthis.
Ibelievethatabandoningthepracticeofmatchingthetermsofbothchambers
oftheparliament,regardlessofhowthisisachieved,shouldbeanissuethatis
consideredinthecourseofworkonamendmentstotheConstitution.
21
B.Banaszak,KPrzesłankiistnieniaSenatuwPolsce”[in:]Kierunkizmianpozycjiustrojowej…,
p.18.
