August Novelization
Encyclopedia
The August Novelization of 2 August 1926 was a set of amendment
s to the 1921 March Constitution of Poland
.
These amendments were proposed and adopted by national plebiscite after Józef Piłsudski took power in the May Coup
.
There were four main clauses in the amendments.
Constitutional amendment
A constitutional amendment is a formal change to the text of the written constitution of a nation or state.Most constitutions require that amendments cannot be enacted unless they have passed a special procedure that is more stringent than that required of ordinary legislation...
s to the 1921 March Constitution of Poland
March Constitution of Poland
The Second Polish Republic adopted the March Constitution on 17 March 1921, after ousting the occupation of the German/Prussian forces in the 1918 Greater Poland Uprising, and avoiding conquest by the Soviets in the 1920 Polish-Soviet War. The Constitution, based on the French one, was regarded as...
.
These amendments were proposed and adopted by national plebiscite after Józef Piłsudski took power in the May Coup
May Coup
The May Coup d'État was a coup d'état successfully carried out in Poland by Marshal Józef Piłsudski between 12 and 14 May 1926. The coup overthrew the government of President Stanisław Wojciechowski and Prime Minister Wincenty Witos...
.
There were four main clauses in the amendments.
- The President may dismiss the SejmSejmThe Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
(parliament) and the SenateSenate of PolandThe Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years, it was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the...
. - The President may issue acts (rozporządzenia) having statutory power with the approval of the Sejm.
- The Sejm may not dissolve itself.
- If the Sejm cannot agree on the state budget, the budget may be passed by the government.