Revolution by the law: Transformation of the Czechoslovak Federal Assembly 1989–1990

This study looks at the role of the Federal Assembly in the Velvet Revolution. With the disintegration of the communist party, the Federal Assembly became unexpectedly a key constitutional institution with far reaching powers in times of rapid political change. The revolutionary movement Civic Forum forced through a legislation that enabled to recall substantial part of the members of the parliament and replace them by its own candidates through co-optation. This method of “cleansing” of the parliament had far-reaching consequences for the post-November Czechoslovak political culture.