MONACO

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GENERAL INFORMATION

Parliament (generic name):

Conseil national

Translated name:

National Council

Structure:

Unicameral

Chamber:

Conseil national

Translated name:

National Council

President:

Stéphane Valéri ( M)

Secretary General:

Valérie Viora-Puyo ( F)

Members (statutory number):

directly elected

Members (current number):

Women (current number):

6 ( 25.00%)

Term:

5 years

Last renewal dates:

3 February 2008

Address:

Conseil national
12 rue Colonel Bellando de Castro
MONACO 98000
Tel.: (377) 93 30 41 15
Fax: (377) 93 25 31 90
E-mail: kmarquet@conseil-national.mc

Web site:

http://www.conseil-national.mc/

Affiliation to IPU:

Yes

Affiliation date(s):

1948 -

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Electoral Law:

23 February 1968

Last amendment: 23/12/2002

Constituencies:

1 multi-member nationwide constituency.

Voting System:

- Two-thirds of the seats on the National Council are filled by majority voting, while the remainder are filled by proportional voting.
- Each ballot paper includes the names of candidates of the same party/coalition list, which shall not exceed the total number of seats to be filled (i.e. 24). Each voter may either approve one of the lists as a whole, or replace some of candidates across different party/coalition lists ("panachage") by indicating the full name of the candidates of their choice. The ballot paper after the "panachage" should contain no more names than the number of seats to be filled.
- First to be elected are the sixteen candidates who have obtained the most votes. In case of a tie, the eldest candidate is declared elected.
- The eight remaining seats are filled from the electoral lists that have polled at least five per cent of the valid votes cast, as per the proportional representation system.
- Each list contains a number of seats equal to the number of times the electoral quotient is contained in the total number of valid votes cast for all candidates on the list. The electoral quotient is obtained by dividing the total number of valid votes cast by the number of seats to be filled by proportional voting. Any remaining seats are filled by applying the rule of the highest average. This figure is determined for each list by adding, whenever a seat is left, a fictitious seat to the number of seats the list has won via proportional voting and by dividing the total number of votes it has obtained by the number of seats, including the fictitious seat that has been added. Within each list, the seats obtained are allocated to candidates depending on the number of votes obtained. In case of a tie, the eldest candidate is elected.
- Once there are four vacancies in the National Council, by-elections are held within three months after the last of the seats falls vacant. No by-elections are scheduled, however, within six months of general elections, unless the number of vacancies exceeds half of the parliamentary seats.
Voting is not compulsory.

Voter requirements:

- age: 18 years
- Monegasque nationality for a minimum of five years
- disqualifications: undischarged bankruptcy, imprisonment, second conviction for drunkenness by a court of summary jurisdiction resulting in imprisonment, unsuspended or suspended sentences of imprisonment of certain lengths, conviction in absentia (suspension)

Eligibility:

- qualified electors
- age: 25 years
- Monegasque citizenship
- ineligibility: members of the Council of State, the Council of the Crown, the Supreme Tribunal, persons who - having a dual citizenship - hold a public or elective office in a foreign countr

Incompatibilities:

- members of the sovereign House
- government councillors
- diplomats
- magistrates
- certain high-ranking civil servants

Candidacy requirements:

- submission of candidatures 8 to 15 days before election day ; for the second ballot, candidatures may be presented up to the Tuesday following the first ballot.

LAST ELECTIONS

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber

Dates of election / renewal (from/to):

3 February 2008

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for all the seats in the National Council on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.

Background and outcome of elections:

The February 2008 elections were the first to be held under the reign of Prince Albert II, who succeeded his father, Prince Rainier, upon his death in April 2005.

In the previous elections held in February 2003, the opposition coalition, the Union for Monaco (UPM) led by Mr. Stéphane Valéri - comprising the Union for the Principality (UP), the National Union for the Future of Monaco (UNAM), and the Promotion of the Monegasque Family (PFM) - had won 21 of the 24 seats in the National Council. The National and Democratic Union (UND), which had dominated the country's politics for 40 years, had taken only three seats. Its leader and outgoing Speaker, Mr. Jean-Louis Campora, had lost his seat. Mr. Valéri had succeeded him as Speaker.

Prior to the 2008 elections, the PFM, the Monegasque Synergy, and the Association of Non-Attached Monegasques formed an alliance called "Monaco Together". Another opposition coalition, Rally and Issues for Monaco (REM), comprised the Values and Issues party of Mr. Laurent Nouvion and the Rally for Monaco party (RPM) of Mr. Guy Magnan.

In all, 63 candidates - 24 each from the UPM and the REM, and 15 from "Monaco Together" - stood for the 2008 elections. All the coalitions pledged to uphold the values of the Principality.

The UPM, led by Speaker Valéri, called for voters' support for continuous "evolution". Its programmes focused on enhancing the quality of life through economic development. The UPM's main rival, REM, criticized what it termed as "a drift towards parliamentarism", claiming that the UPM was trying to transform the monarchy into a parliamentary system. Mr. Valéri dismissed the criticism, reaffirming his loyalty to the Principality. The "Monaco Together" alliance promised to provide more jobs and facilitate the setting up of companies.

In all, 76.85 per cent of the 6,300 registered voters turned out at the polls.

Observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) declared the elections free and fair. It nevertheless recommended early publication of political programmes as well as more public debates so that voters could acquire a better understanding of the platforms of each political party.

The UPM retained its 21 seats, winning over 52 per cent of the valid votes. The REM took only three seats, although it obtained over 40 per cent of the valid votes. The "Monaco Together" alliance failed to win any parliamentary representation. In all, six women were elected.

The newly-elected National Council held its first session on 14 February and re-elected Mr. Valéri (UPM) as its Speaker.

STATISTICS


Round no 1 (3 February 2008): Election results

Number of registered electors		6'316
Voters		4'854 (76.85%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers		204
Valid votes		4'650

Round no 1: Distribution of votes

Political Group

Candidates

Votes

% of votes

Union for Monaco (UPM)

53'523

1151.03

Rally and Issues for Monaco (REM)

41'512

892.73

Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group

Total of seats

Union for Monaco (UPM)

Rally and Issues for Monaco (REM)

Comments:

Source: http://www.monaco-mairie.mc/

Note on the number of votes
Each voter casts one ballot paper containing up to 24 candidates. The number of votes won by each political party thus exceeds the total number of voters.

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men:

Women:

Percent of women:

25.00

Distribution of seats according to age:

Distribution of seats according to profession:

PRESIDENCY OF THE PARLIAMENT

APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE

Title:

Speaker of the National Council

Term:

- duration: 1 year, renewable; re-elected on 19/02/1998
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, dissolution of the National Council

Appointment:

elected by the Members on the eleventh day following the election of the National Council and after validation of Members' mandates

Eligibility:

- any Member may be a candidate
- notification of candidature must be made during the public sitting during which the election takes place

Voting system:

- formal vote by secret ballot
- an absolute majority is required in the first round, a relative majority in the second - in case of a tie, the oldest candidate is declared elected
- in the second round, new candidates are admitted

Procedures / results:

- the oldest of the Members present presides over the Council during the voting
- the two youngest Members supervise the voting
- the oldest Member announces the results without delay
- the results cannot be challenged

STATUS

Status:

- ranks third in the hierarchy of State, after the Prince and the State minister
- represents the Council in various national and international bodies (eg the OSCE)
- in case of absence, the Speaker is replaced by the Deputy Speaker

Board:

- is set up under the Constitution and regulated by the Standing Orders of the National Council - it is renewed annually
- consists of a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman - the National Council can appoint several of its members to assist the Board, but in practice, the Board is made up of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and the Committee Chairmen
- meets at the initiative of the Speaker or one of the members of the Board
- decides on the structure and functioning of Parliament's adminstrative services and ensures the application and execution of the Standing Orders as well as the administration of the funds budgeted by the Council

Material facilities:

- allowance

FUNCTIONS

Organization of parliamentary business:

- convenes extraordinary sessions when at least two-thirds of the Members so request
- establishes and modifies the agenda
- organizes the debates
- refers texts to a committee for study in certain cases

Chairing of public sittings:

- can open, adjourn and close sittings
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- makes announcements concerning the Council
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak
- calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote, with the Council's agreement, in the event of irregularities
- checks the quorum
- has discretionary power to give the floor outside the agenda and thus organizes impromptu debates

Special powers:

- prepares requests for budgetary allocations for the functioning of the Council, with the agreement of the Chairman of the Finance Committee
- the recruitment, assignment and promotion of staff is subject to his agreement
- appoints the Clerk
- organizes the services of Parliament
- is traditionally President of the Monaco-France Friendship Group
- 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:

- takes the floor in legislative debates, like the other Members
- provides guidelines for the interpretation or completion of the text under discussion, like the other Members
- takes part in voting, like the other Members
- proposes bills or amendments, like the other Members
- intervenes in the parliamentary oversight procedure

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

PARLIAMENTARY MANDATE

Nature of the mandate:

Start of the mandate:

Validation of mandates:

End of the mandate:

Can MPs resign ?

Yes

Can MPs lose their mandate ?

Yes

STATUS OF PARLIAMENT MEMBERS

Rank in hierarchy:

Indemnities, facilities and services:

Obligation to declare personal assets:

Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability:

Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability:

EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE

Training:

Participation in the work of the Parliament:

Discipline:

Code (rules) of conduct:

Relations between MPs and pressure group:

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber