During a collegium session on Wednesday, parliamentary group representatives called for the resignation of the parliament’s head, Andrije Mandić (New Serbian Democracy). They requested a solution for the regular scheduling of the Prime Minister’s Hour, which hasn’t occurred in over two months, according to unofficial reports from “Vijesti”.

As per the publication, Mandić suggested amendments to the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, recommending that the Prime Minister’s Hour be held during the final week of each month of the regular parliamentary sessions (autumn and spring). However, his proposal was turned down. Sources from the collegium session informed “Vijesti” that the rejection stemmed from concerns that adopting Mandić’s idea would limit opportunities for the Prime Minister’s Hour due to the Prime Minister’s international commitments, public holidays, or unforeseen events.

Another proposition was made at the collegium to “compel” the president and ministers to attend parliament by “penalizing” the government by not processing its acts if they fail to show up. One source mentioned that it’s up to Mandić to decide on further actions to facilitate the regular holding of the Prime Minister’s Hour.

The Rules of Procedure mandate that the Prime Minister’s Hour occurs once a month during the regular sessions. The autumn session runs from the first working day of October until the last working day of December, and the spring session from the first working day of March to the last working day of July. To comply with the Rules of Procedure, there should be three Prime Minister’s Hours in the autumn session and five in the spring session.

The Assembly and the executive branch jointly agree on the date for these sessions, with the last Prime Minister’s Hour taking place on March 26. Government representative Milojko Spajić (Europe Now Movement) and the parliamentary majority are frequently criticized by the opposition for the infrequent scheduling of the Prime Minister’s Hour, which undermines the parliament’s oversight function.

“Vijesti” has been unofficially informed by the Parliament that the scheduling of the Prime Minister’s Hour depends on Spajić, and they are awaiting a response regarding the date of the next session. Conversely, the Government has indicated that prioritizing the “acceleration of the European agenda in parliament” is essential, expressing satisfaction with the “accelerated work” of the legislative body and a shift from political maneuvering to state responsibilities.

Mugoša: No Need to Reinvent the Wheel

The leader of the opposition Social Democrats (SD) parliamentary group, Boris Mugoša, stated to “Vijesti” that the neglect of the Prime Minister’s Hour illustrates the ruling majority’s irresponsibility and frivolity, signifying a conscious erosion of the separation of powers and the parliamentary oversight role.

“For instance, in April, according to the Rules of Procedure, we were supposed to have both a Prime Minister’s Hour and a ministerial hour. Similarly, in May, we were scheduled for another Prime Minister’s Hour and ministerial questions. It’s alarming that we have not completed these sessions, with not all ministers still having answered questions posed by MPs at the end of March,” he remarked.

Mugoša emphasized that such actions by the authorities reflect a continuation of the decline of democratic principles, aimed at limiting the opposition’s ability to utilize established mechanisms for government oversight.

“One of the initial moves of the current parliamentary majority this term was to diminish the parliamentary oversight role by cutting the number of mandatory control hearings requested by the opposition from two to one,” the interlocutor stated.

When asked about ways to “mandate” the Prime Minister’s presence in Parliament, Mugoša asserted that there is no need for new solutions, as the Rules of Procedure already require obedience from both the Prime Minister and the parliamentary majority under normal circumstances.

“The parliamentary majority appoints the prime minister, and if he fails to adhere to the Rules of Procedure, a constitutional obligation, that same majority should hold the prime minister accountable, rather than subject the rest of us to repercussions. The integrity of the system is at stake because the Prime Minister evidently does not respect the parliamentary majority that endorsed him. The majority conveniently overlooks this, as their cohesiveness hinges on their roles in terms of influence and power,” he added.

Mugoša noted that both Parliament and the government are not private entities belonging to Andrija Mandić and Milojko Spajić and cannot manipulate or penalize each other behind the backs of the citizens. He emphasized the need to remind decision-makers of their responsibilities within the system.

“They owe it to the citizens to act with seriousness and accountability in their capacities. Therefore, I oppose anyone coercing anyone else; everyone simply needs to comply with established rules,” he concluded.

Seven Out of 13 Sessions Held

Recent reports from “Vijesti” highlighted that just over 50% of scheduled Prime Minister’s Hour sessions were conducted during Spajić’s government tenure. The inaugural session since its establishment on October 30, 2023, took place on December 28, followed by three additional sessions during last year’s spring parliamentary session—on April 5, May 9, and July 19.

The sessions intended for June 29 and July 26, 2024, were postponed to July 1 and July 30 due to Spajić’s commitments but ultimately did not occur.

During last year’s autumn session, two Prime Minister’s Hours were conducted on October 29 and November 22, with a third session planned for December 20. However, this session was obstructed by the opposition, alleging that “the parliamentary majority suspended the Constitution” and executed a “coup” concerning the parliamentary Constitutional Committee’s decision to terminate the judicial function of Dragani Đuranović in the Constitutional Court. Subsequently, Spajić declined to participate in the continuation of that session, claiming that all answers to parliamentary inquiries had already been made available on the parliament’s website, thus fulfilling his obligations.

In this year’s spring session, only one Prime Minister’s Hour was held on March 26, with no further announcements concerning subsequent sessions since then.

This indicates that out of the 13 Prime Minister’s Hour sessions initially scheduled during Spajić’s tenure, only seven have actually taken place.

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