In almost all countries where there is a parliament, it is divided into two houses. This configuration is a convenient way to create a system of checks and balances. If one chamber is inclined toward radicalism, the other should block its decisions or change bills, making them more acceptable and effective. A similar device originated in the West and was adopted in modern Russia. The Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation is the upper house of parliament (the lower is the State Duma).
Seat in parliament
The upper house appeared in the Russian parliament in 1990. However, that prototype of the Federation Council had little in common with it and was a product of Soviet statehood. Everything changed in 1993, when a new constitution began to operate in the country. According to it, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation was established . The structure of the parliament is enshrined in article 95 of the basic law of the Russian Federation.
Between the two houses of the Federal Assembly there are fundamental differences in their order of formation and competence. The Council was vested with significant powers, which secured him the status of the fundamental basis of the state. Recently, this body is increasingly called the Senate, and its members - senators. This trend can be traced both in unofficial journalism and in the speeches of official government officials and the country's most important officials.
Credentials
The broad powers of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation are fully described in the Russian constitution. The Upper House may reject or approve any law previously adopted by the State Duma.
Similar documents are divided into several types. First of all, these are federal laws. The powers of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation are such that they are rejected by the usual mathematical majority of votes or passive non-consideration within 14 days. At the same time, the status of certain laws may a priori make them mandatory for admission to senators. In this case, the mechanism with ignoring the document is not applied.
Lawmaking
Laws affecting the federal budget, federal fees and taxes, financial, credit, currency and customs regulations are mandatory for consideration by the Federation Council. Also included in this group are issues of war and peace, protection and the status of the state border, denunciation and ratification of international treaties and, finally, monetary emission.
If the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation approves the law, the paper is signed by the president. 112 votes (two-thirds of senators) overcome the veto of the head of state, and 126 votes (three-quarters of senators) approve laws on constitutional amendments and federal constitutional laws.
Appointments
Two-thirds of the Federation Council votes can remove the president from his post. Senators appoint judges of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Arbitration Court and members of the Presidium of the Supreme Court. Among other things, the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation decides who will take the position of the Prosecutor General and his deputies. The upper house of parliament appoints two representatives to the National Banking Council. It determines the auditors of the Accounts Chamber and its deputy chairman.
The bodies of the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation appoint a third of the members of the CEC, the Central Election Commission, which regulates the election process in the country. They also determine who will be one of the members of the Board of the Federal Commission that monitors the securities market. Representatives of the Senate are members of the Council for Civil Service under the Russian President.
Other functions
There are powers not related to the appointments that the Federation Council possesses. The Constitution states that it is he who approves new borders between the subjects of the Russian Federation, as well as the presidential decree on the introduction of a state of emergency or martial law in the country. The upper house determines the date of the election of the head of state.
The Federation Council (chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation and senators) has the right to conduct work in the mode of its own meetings. They take place 1-2 times a month from October to July. Meetings can be extraordinary if such a proposal is received by the president, prime minister, government, one fifth of the members of the Federation Council or a region of Russia. A quorum requires the presence of half the members of the upper house of parliament. If 50% is not gained, then the meeting is considered unauthorized. As a rule, the Federation Council works in open mode, however, if this is stipulated by the regulation, the regime may be closed.
Priority in work
The tasks of the Senate have a certain priority. First of all, the president’s message to the Federal Assembly and his appeal are considered. Next are amendments to the Constitution, draft constitutional and federal laws. Some of them may have the status of mandatory review. Third in this order are sending requests and proposals to the Constitutional Court. The last to be considered are the federal laws adopted by the State Duma regarding issues of denunciation and ratification of international treaties.
Meetings of the Federation Council are held in accordance with the regulations. Senators have the opportunity to make a co-report, report, and closing remarks. They also have the right to participate in debates, to make statements and appeals.
Formation order
According to the law on the Federation Council, two representatives from the constituent entity of the Russian Federation fall into it. One represents the local parliament, the other represents the executive branch. The term of office of a senator is two years. The composition of the Federation Council is changing gradually along with a change of power in the subjects.
According to the regulations, members of the upper house of parliament have immunity. They cannot be held criminally and administratively liable for expressing their position and opinion when voting. The Federation Council is structured and formed on the principle of non-partisanship. Its members do not create associations or factions, as is customary in the State Duma.
The term of office of the Federation Council as a whole is unlimited. In contrast to the State Duma, the composition of this body is subject to “soft rotation”. This means that the term of office of each of its members is determined by the regional authority. The Constitution provides only three possibilities in which the State Duma and the Council of the Federation of Russia get together. This is a hearing of the messages of the Constitutional Court, messages of the president and speeches of foreign heads of state. In general, each house adheres to the principle of non-interference in the affairs of another.
Composition
The Federation Council has 170 members. They are divided into committees (on defense and security issues, on judicial legal issues and constitutional legislation, on tax policy, budget, financial regulation, etc.). One of the units is responsible for social policy. The other governs property relations and economic reforms. Finally, there are committees on CIS and international affairs. Some senators are involved in units of culture, science, education and agricultural policy.
Each committee prepares opinions on issues that fall under its jurisdiction. He also develops and considers bills proposed for submission to the State Duma. Committees may initiate parliamentary hearings. Such units include all members of the Federation Council except the chairman and several of his deputies. Each senator can be included in only one committee, which should include at least 10 people. Distribution by “sectors” must be approved by general vote (majority of votes is required).
The chairman
The Federation Council is headed by the chairman. From 2011 to this day, Valentina Matvienko has held this position. The chairman has many organizational and representative powers. He conducts meetings, determines the internal routine of the chamber, signs its decisions, and distributes functions among his deputies.
The chairman sends to the committees the bills adopted by the State Duma, as well as the bills that are proposed to be submitted to the State Duma. He is elected by secret ballot. The candidacy is approved by half and one vote.
Progress and relationship with the president
The State Duma, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Council of the Federation and other federal state bodies must work in unison, so the Federation Council always has a certain agenda. It is formed by the chairman and is based on the proposals of the committees and commissions of the upper house. A group of senators from at least 10 people, as well as two senators representing one subject of the Russian Federation, can independently put forward an issue on the agenda. The president’s special representative on the Federation Council may make his changes to the schedule.
The head of state interacts with the upper house of parliament in other ways. Traditionally, the president’s annual message to the Federal Assembly remains important. In it, the first person formulates the main problems and tasks that confronted the state and which must be addressed in the first place. For example, this may be a challenge related to the need for tax reform or the banking system. In this case, both the State Duma and the Federation Council should consider the proposed initiatives of the president.
Formation History
The first Federation Council worked in 1994-1996. It was transitional and therefore, as an exception, was directly elected by the population, and not by the authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Its representative was Vladimir Shumeyko.
The Second Council of the Federation was also remembered as a “governor-speaker”. He met in 1996-2001. Its chairman was Yegor Stroyev. A distinctive feature of that Federation Council was that it consisted of governors and chairmen of local legislative assemblies. Senators worked on an irregular basis, meeting from time to time in Moscow.
The third period of the formation of the Federation Council was in 2002-2012. It was then that he finally got rid of his transitional features and took a stable form. The chairman of the Federation Council was Sergey Mironov, and since 2011, Valentina Matvienko. The fourth upper house of parliament was formed at the end of 2012. It is valid today. The reformatting was associated with the adoption of a new federal law on the Federation Council.