Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation: the procedure for the formation, composition, powers

In almost all countries where there is a parliament, it is divided into two chambers. This configuration is a convenient way to create a system of checks and balances. If one chamber is inclined to radicalism, the other should block its decisions or change bills, making them more acceptable and effective. Such a device originated in the West and was adopted in modern Russia. The Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation is the upper house of parliament (the lower house is the State Duma).

Place in Parliament

The upper chamber appeared in the Russian parliament in 1990. However, that prototype of the Federation Council had little in common with him 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 chambers of the Federal Assembly there are fundamental differences in their order of formation and competence. The council was endowed with considerable powers, which enshrined the status of the fundamental foundation of the state. Recently, this body is increasingly called the Senate, and its members - the senators. This trend can be traced both in unofficial journalism and in the speeches of official state officials and the most important officials of the country.

Credentials

The broad powers of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation are fully described in the Russian Constitution. The upper chamber may reject or approve any law previously adopted by the State Duma.

Such 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 a usual mathematical majority or passive non-examination within 14 days. At the same time, the status of certain laws may a priori make them mandatory for access to senators. In this case, the mechanism with ignoring the document is not applied.

Lawmaking

The laws affecting the federal budget, federal fees and taxes, financial, credit, currency and customs regulation are mandatory for consideration by the Federation Council. This group also includes issues of war and peace, protection and status of the state border, denunciation and ratification of international treaties and, finally, monetary emission.

If the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation approves the law, the paper gets to be signed by the president. 112 votes (two-thirds of senators) overcome the veto of the head of state, and 126 votes (three-fourths of senators) approve laws on constitutional amendments and federal constitutional laws.

Appointments

Two-thirds of the votes of the Federation Council can remove the president from his post. Senators appoint judges of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Arbitration Court and members in the Presidium of the Supreme Court. Among other things, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation decides who will take the post of Prosecutor General and his deputies. The upper chamber 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 Federation Council of the Russian Federation appoint a third of the CEC members - the Central Election Commission, which regulates the election process in the country. They also determine who will be one of the participants of the Collegium of the Federal Commission following the securities market. Representatives of the Senate are members of the Council for Public Service under the Russian president.

Other Functions

There are powers and not related to the appointments that the Federation Council has. The Constitution says that it is he who approves the new borders between the subjects of the Russian Federation, as well as the President 's decree on the introduction of an emergency or martial law in the country. The upper chamber determines the date of election of the head of state.

Sovfed (chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation and senators) has the right to conduct work in the mode of his own meetings. They take place 1-2 times a month in the period from October to July. Meetings may be extraordinary if such an offer is made by the president, prime minister, government, one-fifth of the members of the Federation Council or the Russian region. A quorum requires the presence of half of the members of the upper house of parliament. If 50% is not collected, then the meeting is considered incompetent. As a rule, the Federation Council operates in an open mode, but if it provides for the rules, the regime can be closed.

Priority in work

The tasks of the Senate have a certain priority. First of all, the message of the President to the Federal Assembly and his appeal is considered. Next are amendments to the Constitution, drafts of constitutional and federal laws. Some of them may have the status of subject to mandatory review. Third in this order are the directions of requests and proposals to the Constitutional Court. The latter consider the federal laws adopted by the State Duma, dealing with the issues of denunciation and ratification of international treaties.

Meetings of the Federation Council are held in accordance with the regulations. The senators have the opportunity to make a co-report, a report, a final word. They also have the right to participate in the debate, make statements and appeals.

The order of formation

As the law on the Federation Council reads, two representatives from the RF subject fall into it. One represents the local parliament, the other - the executive branch. The term of office of the senator is two years. The composition of the Federation Council is gradually changing along with the change of power in the subjects.

According to the regulations, members of the upper house of parliament enjoy inviolability. They can not be brought to criminal and administrative responsibility for expressing their position and opinions during the 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. Unlike the State Duma, the composition of this body undergoes "soft rotation". This means that the term of office of each of its members is determined by the regional government. The Constitution provides for only three possibilities under which the State Duma and the Federation Council of Russia come together. It is listening to the messages of the Constitutional Court, the messages of the President and speeches of foreign heads of state. In general, each chamber adheres to the principle of non-interference in the affairs of another.

Composition

There are 170 members in the Federation Council. They are divided into committees (on defense and security, on judicial and legal issues and constitutional legislation, on tax policy, on the budget, on financial regulation, etc.). One of the units is responsible for social policy. Other regulates property relations and economic reforms. Finally, there are committees on CIS affairs and international affairs. Some of the senators are involved in the departments for culture, science, education and agrarian policy.

Each committee prepares opinions on issues that are relevant to its conduct. He also develops and examines draft laws proposed for submission to the State Duma. Committees can initiate parliamentary hearings. Such units include all members of the Federation Council except the chairman and several of his deputies. Each senator can only enter one committee, which should include at least 10 people. The distribution by "sectors" should be approved by a general vote (a majority of votes are needed).

Chairperson

The Federation Council is headed by the chairman. Valentina Matvienko has been holding this post since 2011 to this day. The chairman has many organizational and representative powers. He conducts meetings determines the internal routine of the chamber, signs its decrees, distributes functions among his deputies.

The Chairman sends to the committees bills adopted by the State Duma, as well as bills that are proposed to the State Duma. He is elected by secret ballot. The candidature is approved in half and one voice.

The course of work and relations with the president

The State Duma, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council and other federal state bodies should work in unison, therefore in the Federation there is always a certain agenda. It is formed by the chairman and is based on the proposals of committees and commissions of the upper house. Independently, a group of senators from at least 10 people, as well as two senators representing one subject of the Russian Federation, can put the issue on the agenda. The special representative of the president in the Federation Council can make his edits in the schedule.

The head of state interacts with the upper house of parliament and in other ways. Traditionally, the annual message of the president to the Federal Assembly remains important. In it, the first person formulates the main problems and tasks that faced the state and which must be addressed first. 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.

History of formations

The first Council of the Federation worked in 1994-1996. It was transitional and therefore, as an exception, was elected directly by the population, and not by the authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation. His representative was Vladimir Shumeiko.

The Second Council of the Federation was also remembered as "governor-speaker". It was held in 1996-2001. Its chairman was Yegor Stroyev. A distinctive feature of that Federation Council - it consisted of governors and chairmen of local legislative assemblies. The senators worked not on an irregular basis, from time to time meeting in Moscow.

The third period of the formation of the Federation Council fell on 2002-2012. It was then that he finally got rid of his transitional features and took a stable form. Chairman of the Council was Sergei Mironov, and from 2011 - Valentina Matvienko. The fourth upper house of parliament was formed at the end of 2012. It still works today. Reformatting was associated with the adoption of a new federal law on the Federation Council.