|
|
|||||
|
PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENT |
|||||
| Chamber: | |||||
| Senato della Repubblica | |||||
|
|
|||||
| Title: | |||||
| President of the Senate | |||||
| Term: | |||||
| - duration: 5 years (term of House) - reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, cessation of mandate, temporary functional incapacity if he/she must serve as Acting Head of State, death, dissolution of the Senate |
|||||
| Appointment: | |||||
| - elected by all Senators - the election is held at the start of the new legislature - before the members' mandates have been validated |
|||||
| Eligibility: | |||||
| - any Senator may be a candidate | |||||
| Voting system: | |||||
| - formal vote by secret ballot - an absolute majority of votes is required for the first and second rounds; an absolute majority of the votes cast by those present for the third round. If no one obtains the required majority in the third round, a run-off is held between the two candidates who obtained the most votes. In case of a tie, the eldest candidate is declared elected |
|||||
| Procedures / results: | |||||
| - the eldest Senator presides over the Senate during the voting - the Board supervises the voting - the eldest Senator announces the results without delay - the results cannot be challenged |
|||||
|
STATUS |
|||||
| Status: | |||||
| - ranks second in the hierarchy of the State, and is first in line to serve as Acting Head of State - in the order of precedence, the eldest President of the two Houses comes first - the President of the Chamber of Deputies presides over joint sittings of both Houses - in the absence of the President, one of the four Vice-Presidents designated by the President of the Senate can assume his/her role and functions |
|||||
| Board: | |||||
| - the Board of the Presidency is regulated by the Standing Orders of the Senate - consists of the President, four Vice-Presidents, 3 Questors and 8 secretaries - meets at the initiative of the President |
|||||
| Material facilities: | |||||
| - no reply given | |||||
|
FUNCTIONS |
|||||
| Organization of parliamentary business: | |||||
| - convenes sessions - establishes and modifies the agenda - organizes the debates and may increase allotted speaking time, in consultation with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, the Committee Chairmen and the Government - examines the admissibility of bills and amendments - refers texts to a committee for study - appoints the Chairmen of certain special committees |
|||||
| Chairing of public sittings: | |||||
| - can open, adjourn and lift sittings - ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders - makes announcements concerning the Senate - takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures - establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak - decides which amendments are inadmissible - calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities - checks the quorum - authenticates the texts adopted and the records of debates - interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Senate, basing itself on precedents |
|||||
| Special powers: | |||||
| The Board of the Presidency: - approves the Senate's budget - appoints the Secretary General on a proposal by the President of the Senate - is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments - is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Chamber |
|||||
| Speaking and voting rights, other functions: | |||||
| - may take the floor in legislative debates on procedural issues only - intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure - proposes the appointment of holders of office characterized by their autonomy and independence, in agreement with the President of the Chamber of Deputies - must be consulted in certain circumstances (dissolution, appointment of the Head of Government) |
|||||
Choose one of the thematic modules below for further information grouped by category. Alternatively, you can access the full text of the PARLINE data about this parliament (downloading will take longer). |
|||||
|
Last Elections | Parliamentary Mandate | Full text PARLINE database: new search |
|||||
|
|
|||||