Fakcje a funkcjonowanie sejmu Rzeczypospolitej w końcu XVI i w XVII wieku

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Abiejų Tautų Respublika (ATR; Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów; Žečpospolita; Sandrauga; Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth); Abiejų Tautų Respublika, XVI–XVII a.; Didikų giminės; Frakcija (grupuotė); Frakcijos; Karalius; Kilmingieji piliečiai; Seimas; Senatoriai; Diet (Sejm); Faction; Factions; King; Magnate families; Noble citizens; Seimas; Senators; The Republic of both nations.

ENIn the political system of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the sejm, due to its composition and authority, was supposed to play the part of system keystone and anchorage of the state. Yet, the political reality of the last years of King Stephen Bathory and the first half of King Sigismund III Vasa’s reign revealed the fact that the sejm was increasingly incapable of fulfilling its tasks. The damage was driven not only by the requirement to agree all sejm laws and statutes, but also by the attitude of decision-makers who personally (the king and senators) or through their representatives (noble citizens) attended old-Polish sessions. The first elective rulers and senators of magnate families did not like the political system of the Commonwealth. They wanted to increase their participation in governance. The Crown nobility, which significantly contributed to the formation of the existing form of government, rested on their laurels after they had elected, against magnates’ will, its own candidate to the throne who swore fidelity to the Henrician Articles and consented to the formation of Tribunals. The nobility was tired of the efforts and costs of many years of their political activity. There were also generational changes within their leadership, and their former leader, who became the closest associate of King Bathory, reassured them that there were no plans to change political institutions and laws of the Commonwealth. And indeed, the faęade of the political system was preserved, while the factions were established - non-system political parties by dint of which the court and great magnate families gained an increasing influence on territorial sejmikis and finally led at the and of the 17th century to the incapacitation of the sejm. [From the publication]