Institutional aspects of the political systems in South-Eastern Europe

Institutional aspects of the political systems in South-Eastern Europe Political systems in South-Eastern Europe POL 268 Věra Stýskalíková

Consolidated/non-consolidated democracy Consolidated democracy: Slovenia Semi-consolidated democracy: Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Rumania Non-consolidated democracy: Albania, BiH, Moldova, SCG

Parliamentary and presidential regimes according to the Constitution Parliamentary regime: Albania, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia since 2001 Semi-presidential regime: BiH, Moldova, Romania, SCG Presidential regime: none (in reality we could include Albania under Sali Berisha; Croatia under Tudjman and Serbia under Milošević

Chief of the states – directly elected Bulgaria (5 years, max. 2 terms) Croatia (5 years, max. 2 terms) Macedonia (5 years, max. 2 terms) Moldova (4 years, max. 2 terms) Rumania (5 years, max. 2 terms) Slovenia (5 years, max. 2 terms) Serbia (5 years, max. 2 terms) Monte Negro (5 years, max. 2 terms) Bosnia and Herzegovina (4 years, 3 presidents, rotation system)

Chief of the states – indirectly elected Albania (5 years, max. 2 terms) SCG (4 years, may not be from the same member state for two consecutive terms)

Albania – Alfred Moisiu The President of the Republic is elected by secret vote and without debate by the Assembly by a majority of three-fifths of all its members. The President of the Republic is in every case elected for 5 years, with the right of reelection only once. The President of the Republic may be discharged for serious violations of the Constitution and for the commission of a serious crime. In these cases, a proposal for the discharge of the President may be made by not less than one-fourth of the members of the Assembly and must be supported by not less than two-thirds of all its members.

Bosnia and Herzegovina The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina shall consist of three Members: one Bosniac and one Croat, each directly elected from the territory of the Federation, and one Serb directly elected from the territory of the Republika Srpska. Members of the Presidency shall be directly elected in each Entity (with each voter voting to fill one seat on the Presidency). The term of the Members of the Presidency elected in the first election shall be two years; the term of Members subsequently elected shall be four years. Members shall be eligible to succeed themselves once and shall thereafter be ineligible for four years.

Bulgaria - Georgi Parvanov President together with vice-president directly elected, 5 years term, max. twice. Symbolic function. Georgi Parvanov since 22.1.2002, vice-president Angel Marin. To be elected, a candidate shall require more than one-half of the valid ballots, provided that more than half of all eligible voters have cast their ballots in the election. The vice-president can lead the country in case of resignation or death of the president. President has a veto right, parliament can outvote this veto with the absolute majority of the all MPs.

Croatia – Stjepan Mesić President directly elected for 5 years term, no more than twice. System of absolute majority, 2 rounds. Strong position – designates prime minister and the government without the consent of the parliament. President can dissolve the parliament, in case the parliament casts the non-confidence vote. The competencies of president were enourmous under Tudjman. 16.1.2005 reelected Stjepan Mesić for 2nd term.

Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) – Branko Crvenkovski . Directly elected for 5 years term, no more than twice. A candidate for President of the Republic can be nominated by a minimum of 10,000 voters or at least 30 Representatives. A candidate for President of the Republic is elected if voted by a majority of the total number of voters. If in the first round of voting no candidate wins the majority required, voting in the second round is restricted to the two candidates who have won most votes in the first round.Weak and symbolic institution.

Romania- Traian BÃSESCU The President of Romania shall be elected by universal, equal, direct, secret and free suffrage. No one may hold the office of President of Romania for more than two terms that can also be consecutive. The term of office of the President of Romania is five years. The President of Romania safeguards the observance of the Constitution and the proper functioning of the public authorities. To this effect, he shall act as a mediator between the Powers in the State, as well as the State and society. The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate may decide the impeachment of the President of Romania for high treason, in joint session, based on the votes of at least a third of the number of Deputies and Senators.

Slovenia- Janez Drnovšek. The weakest position of the president in the region, 5 years, direct vote, max. twice

Serbia and Monte Negro – Svetozar Marović The term shall last 4 years. − chair the Council of Ministers and administer its work; − propose to the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro the members of the Council of Ministers and relief of duty of its members; Elected indirectly by Assembly of Serbia and Monte Negro The President of the Assembly and the President of the State Union may not come from the same member state.

Serbia – Boris Tadić direct vote, 5 years term. The same person may be elected for President of the Republic two times only. According to the constitution standard rights and duties typical for parliamentary democracy.

Monte Negro – Filip Vujanović Direct vote, 5 years term, max. 2 consequtive terms

Parliaments Unicameral: Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, Croatia, SCG, Serbia, Monte Negro Bicameral: BiH, Rumania, Slovenia

Albania 140 MP´s, 4 years 100 seats elected in single-member constituencies and 40 by a separate proportional ballot on a nationwide basis.

Bulgaria 240 MP´s , 4 years, candidates must be over 21, proportional voting system, 4 % threshhold, d ´Hondt method. For passing of the new constitution, changes of state borders or the change of the state system the Great Assembly has to be called up – 400 MP´s. The proposal shall by accepted by 2/3 majority in three consequent ballots.

Bosnia and Herzegovina The Parliamentary Assembly shall have two chambers: the House of Peoples and the House of Representatives. The House of Peoples shall comprise 15 Delegates, two-thirds from the Federation (including five Croats and five Bosniacs) and one-third from the Republika Srpska (five Serbs).The House of Representatives shall comprise 42 Members, two-thirds elected from the territory of the Federation, one-third from the territory of the Republika Srpska. Members of the House of Representatives shall be directly elected.

Croatia 1990-2001 bicameral Since 2001 only one chamber Sabor 100>x<160 4 years, 5 % threshhold, proportional representation, d´Hondt method. The Croats abroad can vote National minorities have 8 seats reserved – 3 for Serbs, 1 for Hungarians and Italians each, 1 for Czechs and Slovaks, 1 for Austrians, Bulgarians, Germans, Polaks, Romas, Ruthenians, Russians, Turks, Ukraines, Jewish, Romanians, and 1 seat for Albanians, Bosniaks, Montenegrins, Macedonians and Slovenes.

Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 120-140 MPs, 4 years 1991-1998 majority voting system, 120 single member constituencies 1998-2002 85 single member constituencies, 35 proportional with 5 % threshhold and d´Hondt. 2002 proportional system for all 120 seats, no threshhold, d´Hondt.

Romania Symetrical bicameralism Senat 143 MPs (proportional system, min. 35 years old, d ´Hondt) NAtional assembly (346 MPs: 324 proportional system + 19 seats reserved for ethnic minorities, which are not able to pass the threshhold, min. 23 years old) 4 years term Threshold 5 %; 8 % for coalition of 2 parties, 9 % for coalition of 3 parties and 10 % threshold for coalistion of 4 and more parties.

Slovenia - 2 Chambers: The National Assembly and National Council The National Assembly is composed of deputies of the citizens of Slovenia and comprises ninety deputies. Deputies are elected by universal, equal, direct and secret voting. One deputy of the Italian and one deputy of the Hungarian national communities shall always be elected to the National Assembly. The electoral system shall be regulated by a law passed by the National Assembly by a two-thirds majority vote of all deputies. Deputies, except for the deputies of the national communities, are elected according to the principle of proportional representation with a four-percent threshold required for election to the National Assembly, with due consideration that voters have a decisive influence on the allocation of seats to the candidates. The National Council is the representative body for social, economic, professional and local interests. The National Council has forty members. It is composed of: four representatives of employers; four representatives of employees; four representatives of farmers, crafts and trades, and independent professions; six representatives of non-commercial fields; twenty-two representatives of local interests.

Serbia and Monte Negro For the first two years after the adoption of the Constitutional Charter (4.2.2003), the MPs have been elected indirectly in proportion to their representation in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and the Assembly of the Republic of Montenegro. After that initial period direct elections, 4 years, 126 MPs unicameral: 91 Serbs, 35 Montenegrins, 5 % threshhold not for minorities.

Serbia – Boris Tadić Narodne sobranje 250 MPs 4 years

Monte Negro 1 chamber 1 MP represents 6 000 voters, therefore the number of MPs can change, (75 MPs in 2005) 4 years

Institutional aspects of the political systems in South-Eastern Europe