Assembly of Serbia

Assembly of Serbia
Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · source
Name	National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
Native name	Народна скупштина Републике Србије
House type	Unicameral
Established	1805
Leader1 type	President
Leader1	Nikola Selaković
Members	250
Last election	3 April 2022
Meeting place	House of the National Assembly, Belgrade

Assembly of Serbia

The Assembly of Serbia is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Serbia, constituted under the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and seated in Belgrade. It functions as the central deliberative body winding together threads from Serbian history, the Ottoman period, the Serbian Revolution, and modern constitutional developments such as the 2006 constitutional referendum, while interacting with institutions like the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the President of Serbia, the Constitutional Court of Serbia, and international actors including the European Union and the Council of Europe. The Assembly's membership reflects party groupings such as the Serbian Progressive Party, the Socialist Party of Serbia, Freedom and Justice, and other parliamentary lists emerging from elections organized by the Republic Electoral Commission.

History

The roots of the Assembly trace to the First Serbian Uprising and the Revolutionary assemblies convened during the Serbian Revolution, including the Assembly at Orašac and the Sretenje Constitution milieu, followed by later milestones like the 1835 Constitution of Prince Miloš Obrenović, the Obrenović and Karađorđević dynastic periods, and parliamentary developments under King Milan I and King Alexander I. During the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the interwar period the representative institutions interacted with the National Council and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; later transformations occurred through the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Post-2000 political changes, the Bulldozer Revolution, and the 2006 referendum on independence led to the current constitutional framework codified in the Constitution of 2006, with subsequent electoral contests such as the 2007, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2022 parliamentary elections shaping party representation.

Structure and composition

The Assembly is unicameral and comprises 250 deputies elected by proportional representation on closed party lists. Prominent parties and movements represented include the Serbian Progressive Party, the Socialist Party of Serbia, the Democratic Party, the Serbian Radical Party, and newer blocs like the Alliance for Serbia and the United Serbia coalition. Deputies serve four-year terms, with legal qualifications and incompatibility rules influenced by the Constitution of 2006 and the Law on the Election of Representatives, and interactions with institutions such as the Republic Electoral Commission, the Anti-Corruption Agency, and municipal assemblies across Belgrade, Novi Sad, Niš, Kragujevac, and Subotica. Parliamentary groups form cross-party caucuses and may include representatives from national minority lists, including parties associated with the Hungarian, Bosniak, Roma, Slovak, and Romanian communities.

Powers and functions

Under the Constitution, the Assembly enacts laws, ratifies international treaties such as accession agreements with the European Union, adopts the state budget prepared by the Ministry of Finance, elects and dismisses the Prime Minister and members of the Government, appoints the Governor of the National Bank of Serbia, and oversees state organs including the Security and Information Agency and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. It confirms appointments to the Constitutional Court of Serbia and the Council of the Republic, exercises control through interpellations and questions to the Government, approves declarations related to emergency powers and the deployment of Armed Forces of Serbia, and can adopt decisions on amnesty and war crimes implementation obligations originating from international instruments like the Hague institutions and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Legislative process

Legislative initiatives may originate from deputies, groups of deputies, the President of the Republic, the Government, the National Bank of Serbia, local assemblies, or citizen petitions meeting thresholds prescribed by law. Draft laws proceed through first, second and third readings in plenary sessions, referral to relevant specialized committees such as the Budget and Finance Committee or the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues, and mandatory publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia. The legislative timetable aligns with the annual state budget cycle, transparency obligations under freedom of information provisions, and scrutiny by bodies like the Ombudsman and international monitors from bodies such as the OSCE and the Venice Commission.

Committees and leadership

The Assembly operates standing committees and temporary working groups; key committees include the Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues, the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on European Integration, and the Committee for Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality. Leadership comprises the President of the Assembly, vice-presidents, and heads of parliamentary groups, with procedural rules derived from the Rules of Procedure and influenced by precedents set in sessions chaired from the Marshal’s dais. Parliamentary friendship groups maintain bilateral contacts with foreign legislatures such as the Bundestag, the United States Congress, the National Assembly of the Republic of France, the Congress of Deputies of Spain, and assemblies in Russia, China, and regional Balkan parliaments.

Elections and electoral system

Elections use a nationwide proportional representation system with the D'Hondt method and closed lists, regulated by the Republic Electoral Commission and the Law on the Election of Representatives. Thresholds and provisions for national minorities affect representation of parties like the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and minority coalitions. Major electoral events include campaigns monitored by international organizations such as the OSCE/ODIHR and local observers, with notable election years being 2000, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2022. Post-election procedures include certification of mandates, formation of coalition governments, and the convening of the first session where the President of the Assembly is elected.

Building and administration

The Assembly meets in the House of the National Assembly in Republic Square, Belgrade, an architectural landmark rebuilt and adapted after events including wartime damage, interwar renovations, and late 20th-century restorations. Administrative support is provided by the Secretariat of the National Assembly, the Service for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Library and Archives of the Assembly, which hold legislative records, plenary transcripts, and collections related to figures such as Karađorđe Petrović, Vuk Karadžić, Nikola Pašić, Slobodan Milošević, Zoran Đinđić, and Aleksandar Vučić. The building hosts plenary sittings, committee meetings, state protocol events, and visits by delegations from bodies like the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and NATO parliamentary delegations.

Category:Politics of Serbia Category:Legislatures