Semi-Presidentialism in Finland and Iceland

Diploma thesis attempts to apply an actualized concept of semi-presidential regime of Matthew Shugart on concrete cases of countries where the role of president has weakened over the course of last 30 years (Finland), and where the role of president has conversely grown up (Iceland). Theoretical part of the study presents the thoughts of the main actors of the semi-presidentialism debate and political-systems debate in general from the 1970s till current times. A special regard is being put forward on the conflict between legalist approach of system classifications according to written laws, and behavioralist approach of classifications through the degree of actually exercised power of individual political figures in real time. Practical part of the study follows a long-term evolution of a political system of the two selected Scandinavian republics, whose categorizations have been disputed in the academic literature. Hence a (non)utility of the semi-presidentialism theory is demonstrated exactly on the examples of Finland and Iceland. On the basis of such built-up frame, the author concludes the work by a hypothesis explaining a gradual rise or decline of power of the head of state according to internal and external political factors