Home > 4.1.1 Lower house > Report on Electoral Law and Electoral Administration in Europe
 
 
 
Download file    
 
 
Paragraph 104
 

Term limits usually apply to the Head of State/President of the Republic, while they are quite uncommon for members of parliaments (with the exception, for instance, of Costa Rica and until 2014 Mexico). Given the risk of abuse of power by incumbents who seek to prolong their tenure, in the vast majority of presidential or semi-presidential systems worldwide the constitution sets limits on the president’s re-election: either an absolute ban, or a maximum period of two terms, or of two consecutive terms. If such term limits are removed, it must be critically assessed whether such constitutional reforms prepare the ground for establishing or prolonging autocratic rule.