Keepin touch

Whether you have a question, comment, suggestion or any problem in the purview of the government, send us your message and we will try to respond as soon as possible. If your problem is not in our purview, we will forward your message to the relevant institution.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Decentralisation, strengthening of local self-government through new constitution

Belgrade, 5 December 2005

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today that without a new constitution it is not possible to decentralise and strengthen the local self-government in Serbia, and added that constitutional changes are of prime importance if the country is to establish beneficial relations between central and local authorities.

Author: FoNet

In the opening speech at the 35th Assembly of the Permanent Conference of Cities and Municipalities in Serbia, Kostunica said that this new relationship must be founded on European standards, and added that, apart from passing the new constitution, it is also necessary to introduce changes to the current law on local self-government as well as to pass new regulations.

According to Kostunica, it is necessary to consider new solutions, as well as the consequences of their implementation. The new legal solutions must be based on the highest state and political consensus. All that stresses the importance of a constitutional re-founding of Serbia, that being a desperate need for a new constitution, the Prime Minister pointed out.

He stressed that after so much wasted time, Serbia needs certainty and stability in the future development now more than ever, and the new constitution can provide both.

Kostunica recalled that the Serbian government has demonstrated clearly that it prefers decentralisation and shifting greater authorities to municipalities. The proof of that can be seen in the document on the reformation strategy signed in October 2004, through which Serbia committed itself to the task of further strengthening the local self-government.

Author: FoNet

The Prime Minister pointed out that, apart from the implementation of European standards and principles, Serbia’s specific features, capabilities and limitations must be taken into account. He added that it is also necessary to enable the creation of a new territorial organisation and self-government units in Serbia.

Kostunica said that new solutions must be based on the widest possible social and political consensus, which is not possible without new constitutional solutions, and reiterated that without development of local self-government, there can be no development of Serbia.

He pointed out that the role of the Permanent Conference of Cities and Municipalities in the process of transition and EU integration will become more and more prominent and pointed out the necessity of further improvement of local self-government through dialogue between local self-governments and central authorities.