Kazakhstan’s constitutional reform through the eyes of a Czech expert

— What impact could the reforms have on Kazakhstan’s international and regional partnerships?

— In my view, these constitutional changes should not be considered in isolation but in the context of the broader reform course that is currently being implemented in Kazakhstan. This concerns not only political transformation but also the economic agenda, adaptation to new technological processes, including the development of artificial intelligence, as well as Kazakhstan’s aspiration to take a more prominent place in the emerging global economic architecture in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

From the perspective of political science, the changes taking place appear to be part of a broader institutional design aimed at strengthening the resilience of the political system. Such logic may contribute to strengthening Kazakhstan’s position as a reliable partner on the international stage, both for states and for foreign investors, businesses and other external actors.

In a broader sense, these reforms may strengthen Kazakhstan’s position in an increasingly multipolar world. Of course, the modern international environment is associated with serious challenges, including changes in the global balance of power, the emergence of new centers of influence, and growing competition between traditional and new players. However, these processes affect not only Kazakhstan but many other states as well.

Against this background, Kazakhstan appears to be striving to pursue an active and balanced foreign policy, strengthening its role in the region and consistently establishing itself as a responsible middle power. In this context, constitutional changes may become a factor of additional internal stability, which in turn will expand the country’s opportunities for more visible participation in regional and international processes.

— Can citizens’ participation in the referendum influence how Kazakhstan is perceived at the international and regional levels? If so, in what way?

— Undoubtedly, citizens’ participation in any vote is of crucial importance not only for the internal development of the state but also for its perception on the international stage. In the case of such a large-scale constitutional reform, this issue acquires particular significance. If the changes affect more than 80% of the text of the Constitution, this objectively requires broad citizen involvement and a high level of public awareness.

These factors largely determine the legitimacy of both the reform process itself and the new constitutional model that lays the foundation of the political system. Moreover, legitimacy is important not only for the domestic audience but also for external observers, including foreign governments, international organizations, investors, the business community and other actors.

Therefore, civic engagement in this case is of fundamental importance. In preparing for the interview, my attention was drawn in particular to the interaction between the Kazakh authorities and the OSCE, as well as the invitation of international observers, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and other relevant participants. This is an important element because it can further strengthen confidence in the process both within the country and among international partners.

— How do you assess the scale of these changes being put forward for nationwide discussion?

— The scale of the proposed changes is indeed quite significant. We are not talking simply about targeted amendments but about a deep revision of the constitutional text: the changes affect more than 80% of its content, and new elements are included not only in the main body of the Constitution but also in its preamble. All this allows us to speak about a comprehensive reform of the entire constitutional system.

One of the most notable innovations is the transition from a bicameral parliament to a unicameral one. In political science literature, such a step is usually interpreted as an attempt to simplify and accelerate the political and procedural mechanisms of decision-making. If we look at this process in a broader context, then, in my opinion, it is connected not only with internal tasks but also with changes in the international environment.

It appears that Kazakhstan is seeking to strengthen its internal institutional structure in order to be better prepared for both external challenges and new opportunities that arise amid the transformation of the world order. In other words, the issue concerns not only a revision of the internal governance model but also an attempt to adapt the state system to new international realities. In this sense, the constitutional reform may have significance not only for the country’s internal structure but also for its position in the region and in the broader international context.

— Do constitutional reforms influence the country’s foreign policy course, or are such processes primarily domestic in nature?

— If we approach the issue from the perspective of political science, then of course attention is first of all focused on the text of the Constitution itself, its structure, content and the nature of the proposed changes. However, it would be incorrect to consider such a process exclusively internal. Constitutional reform in any case also has an external dimension.

If we turn to the preamble and a number of provisions of the draft, it can be assumed that Kazakhstan to some extent takes into account not only the internal logic of development but also the expectations of its key international partners. In this context, I would primarily highlight the European Union, which is Kazakhstan’s most important trading partner and in recent years has shown increasing interest not only in Kazakhstan itself but also in Central Asia as a whole.

In the current international situation, the European Union considers Kazakhstan an important partner in matters of diversification of supply chains, including in the sphere of rare materials and other strategically significant resources. In addition, Kazakhstan is increasingly perceived as an important transport hub in logistics routes between the production centers of Asia and the consumer markets of Europe.

At the same time, interest in developments in Kazakhstan is not limited to the European Union. Other external actors, including NATO states, are also closely following the development of the situation in the region. For its part, Kazakhstan, it can be assumed, also considers cooperation with the EU as one of the strategically significant directions of its foreign policy.

From this perspective, certain elements of the new constitutional approach, in particular the emphasis on a human-centered orientation and individual freedoms, may have particular significance for European partners. Such provisions are likely to be perceived as important indicators of the direction of the reforms and their political content.

Ultimately, the determining factor will be not only the content of the draft but also its practical implementation. If the new Constitution is approved by the citizens of Kazakhstan, then the quality and consistency of its subsequent implementation will become key both for the country’s internal stability and for assessments by international partners, primarily European ones.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the draft of Kazakhstan’s new Constitution marks an important stage in the country’s development and proposes a reorientation of the political system from a highly centralized “super-presidential” model to a more balanced constitutional framework. This was stated in an interview by the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ljubljana, Miro Cerar.