Zagreb Assembly Explained

City Assembly of the City of Zagreb
Native Name:Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba
Coa Pic:Coat of arms of Zagreb.svg
Session Room:Stara gradska vijecnica Zagreb.jpg
House Type:Unicameral
Leader1 Type:President
Leader1:Joško Klisović
Party1:SDP
Leader2 Type:Deputy Presidents
Leader2:Ivana Kekin (NL)
Teodor Celakoski (Možemo!)
Mislav Herman (HDZ)
Igor Peternel (DP)
Election1:17 June 2021[1]
Structure1:Zagreb Assembly 2024.svg
Structure1 Res:250px
Members:48
Political Groups1:Government (26)

Supported by (2)

Opposition (20)

Last Election1:16 May 2021
Next Election1:2025
Meeting Place:Old City Hall

The City Assembly of the City of Zagreb is the lawmaking body of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It consists of 47 members who were elected by universal suffrage and secret ballot at 2017 elections for a term of four years. The assembly meets at the Old City Hall, close to the St. Mark's Square. This representative body passes acts within the self-governing scope of the City of Zagreb and performs other duties in accordance with the state laws and its own Statute. The assembly serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government model.[2] It has 24 permanent and occasional working bodies with oversight of various functions of the city government.

Assembly members

The assembly comprises 51 members elected in a general, free, secret and direct ballot by the citizens of Zagreb according to the principle of proportional representation. Elections take place every four years – at the same time as for the Mayor. According to the article 49 of the Statute of the City of Zagreb, "councilors perform they duty honorarily and do not receive a salary" but are entitled to compensation so according to the Decision on the Regular Financing of the Parties, male representatives annually receive around 56,000 kunas (cca. 7,545), and female representatives 62,000 kunas (cca. 8,355). However, this money is paid to the representatives' special giro account and can only be spent on the program of a political party or as a charitable donation. In addition, each of the 51 representatives receives 1,200 kunas (cca. 160) per month for work at the Assembly, regardless of whether they have attended Assembly meeting or not, and around 1,250 kunas (cca. 170) for the work in assembly committees (each representative is member of at least one committee).[3] [4]

Parties with at least three AM's or at least three independent AM's can form a councilors' club in order to organize and participate in the debates and committees of the assembly. City councilors of two or more political parties and independents are allowed to form a joint club. Others are part of the mixed group.[5]

Organizational structure

Assembly is headed by a president and four deputy presidents who form the Presidency of the Assembly. The Secretariat of the Assembly is the professional Assembly service.

Permanent working bodies of the City Assembly are:

Political structure

The political groups represented in the Assembly (as of June 2021):[6]

GroupsNo. of members per group
2021
Green–Left
HDZ
DP
BM365
SDP
Most
align=left colspan=30 Source:[7] [8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: KONSTITUIRAJUĆA SJEDNICA GRADSKE SKUPŠTINE GRADA ZAGREBA 2021. . 17 June 2021 . www.skupstina.zagreb.hr . Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba . hr . 5 July 2021.
  2. Web site: Radna tijela – Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba . Skupstina.zagreb.hr . 2016-12-20.
  3. Web site: Neki gradski zastupnici zaradili i 25.000 kn, a nisu ni progovorili.
  4. Web site: Službeni glasnik Grada Zagreba. APIS. IT. www1.zagreb.hr.
  5. Web site: Službeni glasnik Grada Zagreba. APIS. IT. www1.zagreb.hr.
  6. Web site: Klubovi . www.skupstina.zagreb.hr . Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba . 4 March 2021.
  7. Web site: XXI. Grad Zagreb . State Election Committee of the Republic of Croatia . Informacija o izborima članova predstavničkih tijela jedinica lokalne i područne (regionalne) samouprave i općinskih načelnika, gradonačelnika i župana te njihovih zamjenika-2021. . 27 June 2021.
  8. Web site: . Klubovi . Clubs . 23 June 2021.