Definition of a political party in Poland and Switzerland

Źródło obrazu: Okładka książki prof. Mirosława Matyi pt. "Polska Semidemokracja")

The Act of 27 June 1997 on Political Parties in Poland (Article 1, section 1) states that "a political party is a voluntary organization operating under a specific name, whose goal is to participate in public life by exerting influence, through democratic methods, on shaping state policy or exercising public power."

After reading this act, we know (?) what a political party in Poland does and does not do.

Parties in democratic systems

In democratic systems, political parties are perceived as social forces/groups that actively mobilize the structures of society. They are rooted in the nation's tradition and history, thus stemming from social needs and expectations. This, of course, translates into political outcomes. The party or parties that win elections (in the case of a coalition) receive social legitimacy to govern the state. Furthermore, political parties serve as political and institutional entities that actively participate in public life and the shaping of state policy, influencing the direction of its development.

Parties in undemocratic systems

In non-democratic systems, the role of political parties is command-and-control. Parties strive to control all forms of social activity under various guises, citing democratic principles to this end. The phenomenon of superficiality prevails, and the distinctions between the public and private spheres gradually blur. Political elites emerge, most often supported by business and its interest groups. When a party assumes power, it assumes, or attempts to assume, full control over citizens, whom it attempts to manipulate and pursue a policy of divide and rule. The ruling party's actions are legitimized through "democratic" elections, which in reality have nothing to do with democracy (an example is the so-called party-list elections).

Polish definition of a political party

Let's look again at the provisions of the 1997 Act on Political Parties. The final section, which discusses the influence of parties on shaping state policy or exercising public authority, is particularly interesting. This implies that, according to the aforementioned Act, a political party in Poland fulfills one of two functions:

– or influences the shaping of state policy, but the law does not specifically define how. However, we do read about the party's participation in the state's public life.

– or exercises power in the state.

Does this mean that a party that takes power in a state is automatically exempted from participation in public life?

The winning party has the lofty goal of exercising power. So, by definition, the party that wins the election is legally exempt from any public activity or from exerting democratic influence on state policy?

In short, such a party has a free hand in its actions and is guided solely by the party's statute, which it can create and interpret freely, as well as develop its own party policy. In this way, state policy is shaped through the aforementioned exercise of public authority.

Let's recall in this context what power is, lest the reader immediately assume that power is about people. No, power is not about people. Power is not about individuals, but about the process by which an individual or group exerts genuine influence on the actions of others. In this process of domination, the behavior of a generally broader community is directed by the actions of individuals or elite groups. Power, therefore, is the imposition of the will of some by others, regardless of whether it is consistent with their interests and will. According to the aforementioned law, in Poland, the winning party exercises public power, meaning its goal is to influence the actions of others to direct their behavior in accordance with party policy. In the context of the state, this obviously refers to the entire society.

The Swiss definition of a political party

Switzerland's political system is built on instruments of direct democracy and is structured so that so-called power, and thus the process of domination, rests with the sovereign, that is, the citizens . Through the citizen veto, popular initiative, and referendum, society creates laws and has the final say on important matters at the local and national levels.

The Swiss Constitution defines political parties as follows: "Political parties shall cooperate in shaping the views and will of the nation" (Article 137).

The above definition implies that political parties in Switzerland do not aim to influence state policy, and they certainly do not seek to exert power, i.e., dominate others. They are a part of the political system, but not a dominant one, but rather a complementary and cooperative one. Actual power rests with civil society at the ballot box.

Conclusions

Poland and Switzerland are two democratic countries, each with a wide range of political parties, from left to right. However, the definitions of a political party differ dramatically in these countries, resulting in their distinct roles in public life.

In Switzerland, political parties are of a secondary nature and serve society and cooperate in shaping the will of the Nation, which is the sovereign of the state.

In Poland, political parties compete for so-called power, and the winning party aims to govern the state in accordance with the will of... the law. This law, in turn, is legitimized by the constitutional provision in Article 7, which states that "public authorities shall function on the basis of, and within the limits of, the law."

Of course, the public authority is primarily the government appointed by the ruling party.

It might seem that the authors of the 1997 Political Parties Act were completely clueless about politics. A closer look at the law's content, however, reveals that their actions were, at best, calculated. This rigged provision grants the ruling party virtually unlimited powers of authority. Nearly four decades have passed since then, and the law remains in effect.