On March 15th, the people of Kazakhstan will vote in a national referendum intended to draw a definitive line under the era of “Old Kazakhstan.” The draft of the new Constitution, initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is not merely a legal document but a strategic plan for dismantling obsolete institutions and building a state based on European efficiency standards and national values.
In this regard, Kazakhstan is essential to the European Union as a reliable geopolitical and economic partner with a stable political management system and a transparent investment regime. It appears that President Tokayev, formerly a brilliant diplomat, has begun taking real steps in this direction.
The Reformist President: Architect of Systemic Change
From the very first days of his leadership, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev defined a clear vector: the country requires a profound political reset. The current reform is a personal initiative of the Head of State, aimed at making it impossible to return to a “super-presidential” system, backroom politics, and the stagnation of previous decades.
Tokayev acts as a leader who deliberately limits the powers of the executive branch for the sake of creating sustainable institutions. This is a decisive transition from “manual management” to a system where the law stands above personal connections and narrow interest groups.
Political Arbitration: European Experience Against Backroom Politics
The key novelty regarding the President’s right to dissolve Parliament in the event of a personnel deadlock is the implementation of proven European mechanisms for resolving institutional crises.
Germany and France: In these countries, the right to dissolve parliament is a standard instrument for resolving political paralysis. In Germany, the Federal President (as Frank-Walter Steinmeier did in December 2024) uses this power to return the decision regarding the government back to the voters.
Czech Republic and Poland: In these nations, dissolution is possible when it is impossible to form a stable government.
In the “Old Kazakhstan,” such conflicts were resolved behind closed doors. Tokayev proposes a transparent, democratic path: if state institutions cannot reach a compromise, the people act as the ultimate arbiter through new elections.
Unicameral Parliament: Efficiency and Dynamics for the 21st Century
The transition to a unicameral model is another step toward rational public administration, a hallmark of modern democracies.
Speed and Efficiency: Most successful unitary states in Europe with comparable populations-from Scandinavia to Greece-operate with a single chamber. This removes the need for protracted reconciliations and allows the state to react instantly to global challenges.
Fiscal Pragmatism: Abolishing redundant bureaucratic layers leads to direct budget savings. President Tokayev’s reformist message is clear: the civil service must be mobile, and saved funds should be redirected toward social needs-healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
The Ideological Shield: Historical Continuity
A major tool in the break with the past is the updated Preamble. The President’s reformist course asserts that modern Kazakhstan is not merely a post-Soviet entity, but a continuation of a centuries-old statehood rooted in the history of the Kazakh Khanate.
The constitutional enshrining of the status of “ancestral Kazakh land” turns the Basic Law into an ideological shield. This puts an end to any attempts to question the historical agency and territorial integrity of Kazakhstan. Tokayev is building a new identity based on national dignity and historical truth.
A Secular State: Guaranteeing Civil Peace
The project clearly fixes the principle of the separation of religion and state. In an era of global turbulence, this creates a legal barrier against the politicization of faith and external ideological influence. Secularism here acts as a guarantee of equality for all-believers and non-believers alike-ensuring that the state remains a neutral arbiter.
The conclusion of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s reforms is clear: Constitution-2026 closes the chapter on “Old Kazakhstan.” This is a choice in favor of a mobile, transparent, and historically confident state that values global management standards while standing firmly on its own soil.
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