La Diète Générale du Royaume de Pologne à l'époque des Jagellons (1385–1572)

Abstract

SUMMARY Diets in Poland developed from meetings (colloquia) of royal officials which appeared during the twelfth century and lasted until the beginning of the era of the Jagellons. The reign of Kazimierz Jagiellończyk (1444–92) saw a major acceleration in the development of Polish parliamentary institutions. The increasing importance of local dietines (seymiki ziemskie) obtained legal confirmation in the statute of Nieszawa (1454). The Chamber of Deputies was born out of the need for the local dietines to formulate a common policy before attending the general diet of the Kingdom (Sejm walny koronny), together with the king and the great men of the council, in order to discuss affairs of state, especially the needs of defence. From the Diet of Piotrków (1493) onwards, the General Diet consisted of the royal council, called Senate from the 1530s, and the local deputies. At Radom, on 30 May 1505, the constitution Nihil novi proclaimed the principle of De non faciendis constitutionibus sine consensu consiliariorum et muntiorum terrestrium and thus concluded the process by which a diet of two chambers had been formed. In the debates of the diet rules of procedure were adapted to the pressing need to obtain agreement. The ‘consensus’ of all participants in the diet was the objective of the discussions, especially among the local deputies. By various means which the imprecise rules of debate allowed, their agreement was obtained to the laws proposed by the Crown and the Senate.