Models of presidential election: The cases of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Italian Republic and the Republic of Poland

Abstract

The president has a peculiar, somewhat unclear function in the Polish legal system. Despite being elected by common vote, which should give him significant authority, the Polish president does not hold important prerogatives. The main goal of the article is the analysis of different head of the state models, best exemplified by the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Italy, and a major aspect of the presidency — the significance vested in the fact of being elected. The analysis leads the author to postulate introducing gradual changes in regulations pertaining to the office of president in the Polish Constitution modelled on of the German Basic Law and Constitution of Italy.