THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MONACO

Place de la Visitation - 98000 Monaco 
Tel. +377 97 98 73 00 - Fax. +377 93 25 31 90 - Email: info@conseil-national.mc

It was through the 1911 Constitution that Monegasques acquired the right to elect their representatives. This first National Council was composed of 12 members. His powers were quite limited; initially he did not elect his President, who was appointed by the Prince.

​With the 1962 Constitution, the National Council acquires a true status as an elected Assembly exercising legislative and budgetary powers.

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Composed of eighteen members elected by all major Monegasques, men and women, the National Council is called to vote on the bills submitted to it by the Government as well as on the State Budget, voted in legislative form. In addition, only the National Council can authorize the creation of direct contributions. As regards international relations, ratification of any international treaty or convention affecting the constitutional organisation must be submitted in advance. Under the rule of this text, the National Council can formulate proposals for legislation; but the fate of these remains subject to the goodwill of the Government without the latter being obliged to justify its position. Similarly, legislative amendments proposed by the Assembly can only be incorporated into the text of the bill if they have been approved by the Government in advance

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The constitutional revision of 2002 more clearly affirms the place of the National Council within the Monegasque Institutions. The number of elected representatives increased to 24, and three major changes were introduced:

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• The legislative initiative of the National Council is better ensured, since any legislative proposal voted by the Assembly must be the subject of a response from the Government within a maximum of 6 months. If the Government gives its agreement in principle, it has one year to table the text of the corresponding bill on the Assembly’s desk. In the event of disagreement, the Government must give reasons for its position, and this may result in a debate in public.

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• An actual right to amend legislative texts (except in the case of budget laws) is recognized in the National Council. Section 67 of the Constitution now provides that the vote on a text “shall take place on a bill that may be amended, except that the Government may withdraw the bill before the final vote”.

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• As regards external relations, the field of competence of the National Council was also extended. It is intended that three additional categories of international treaties and agreements will require a prior vote of the National Council in order to be ratified: treaties and agreements whose ratification results in the amendment of existing legislation; the treaties and agreements which imply the accession of the Principality to an international organization whose functioning involves the participation of members of the National Council; those whose implementation has the effect of creating a budgetary charge the nature or purpose of which is not provided for in the budget law. In addition, it is now envisaged that the Principality’s foreign policy will be the subject of a governmental report communicated to the National Council; exchanges of views and debates may therefore take place on the basis of the elements contained in this report.

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