April Constitution of Poland

It introduced in the Second Polish Republic an authoritarian presidential system that no longer operated on the basis of the functional separation of powers.

The President concentrated "single and indivisible state power" in his hands, was responsible "only to God and history", and the government, parliament, armed forces, courts and control bodies were subordinated to him.

He also had the right to dismiss the parliament before the end of term and named a third of the senators, the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army, and the General Inspector of the Armed Forces.

That was used as the legal base for the existence of the Polish Government in Exile during and after World War II.

The government-in-exile operated under the April Constitution until December 1990, when it transferred its authority to Lech Walesa after his election as Poland's first noncommunist president in 46 years.