ABSTRACT
The semi-presidential model has had significant success in what was previously called the ‘Soviet bloc’. In the ex-Soviet Union, as far as constitutional provisions are concerned, the majority of countries have adopted constitutional texts that can be qualified as semi-presidential.1 In the European part of the former Soviet bloc, more than half of the countries adopted this constitutional form following the fall of their communist regimes about fifteen years ago.2 Certain countries have since rejected this regime type, like Moldova in 2000, while others have embraced it, like Slovakia in 1999. At least two other countries, namely the Czech Republic and Estonia, are considering the possibility of constitutional reform towards this model. In Armenia, the 2005 referendum aimed at reducing presidential powers show that semi-presidentialism is a flexible constitutional form that can be adapted as circumstances require.
