Zagreb Assembly

The City Assembly of the City of Zagreb is the lawmaking body of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It consists of 51 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.

City Assembly of the City of Zagreb

Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba
Type
Type
Leadership
President
Drago Prgomet, HDZ
since 18 April 2019
Deputy Presidents
Ana Stavljenić-Rukavina (BM 365)
Jozo Milićević (Independent)
Rajko Ostojić (SDP)
Krešimir Kartelo (NHR)
Structure
Seats51[1]
Political groups
Government (27)
  •   BM365, ZL (16)
  •   HDZ (7)
  •   Club of Independent MAs (4)

Opposition (24)

Elections
Last election
21 May 2017
Next election
2021
Meeting place
Old City Hall
Website
www.skupstina.zagreb.hr

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:

  • Credentials Committee;
  • Election and Appointment Committee;
  • Statute, Rules of Procedure and Regulations Committee;
  • Town, Street and Square Naming Committee;
  • Economic Development Committee;
  • Finance Committee;
  • Utilities Management Committee;
  • Physical Planning Committee;
  • Committee for Environmental Protection;
  • Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Committee;
  • Healthcare Committee;
  • Social Welfare Committee;
  • Education and Sports Committee;
  • Culture Committee;
  • Youth Committee;
  • Intercity and International Cooperation Committee;
  • Local Government Committee;
  • Petitions and Appeals Committee.

Political structure

The political parties represented in the Assembly (27 August 2017):[6]

    Groups No. of members per group Graph
2019
BM 365, ZL 16
HDZ 7                  
Independents 6                    
SDP 5                      
Left Bloc 4                        
Independent MAs 4                        
HSLS 3                          
GLAS, HSU 3                          
Bloc for Croatia 3                          

Note:

Source: [7]

Controversies

Informal coalitions keep major in control of gentrification

After failing to hold majority in Assembly, major Milan Bandić used all kinds of obstructions and alliances with radical right-wing parties, as well as with HDZ to be in control and push corporate interest in furthering city gentrification, through UAE investments.[8]

Online work in April and May 2020

After the 2020 Zagreb earthquake city Assembly did not work regularly nor held meetings in person through April or May, using the excuse of the pandemic, though Croatian Parliament did meet in an adjusted way in person. It was exceptionally strange when Milan Bandić and his majority coalition partners HDZ asked for to just do it over email!. Media and activists speculated that this was the way for and coalition he formed for majority control was trying to prevent critique over much of the failures in the city services. The city center was kept messy and much of population (especially those with highly damaged buildings) was frustrated for the lack of fast response. The most prominent and vocal critique came again from Tomislav Tomašević from "Zagreb je NAŠ!" (English: "Zagreb is OURS!")[9] and its four Assembly members of Left Bloc, who were joined by quite a few other left and center parties.

References
  1. "Političke stranke u Gradskoj skupštini – Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba". Skupstina.zagreb.hr. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  2. "Radna tijela – Gradska skupština Grada Zagreba". Skupstina.zagreb.hr. Retrieved 2016-12-20.
  3. "Neki gradski zastupnici zaradili i 25.000 kn, a nisu ni progovorili".
  4. IT, APIS. "Službeni glasnik Grada Zagreba". www1.zagreb.hr.
  5. IT, APIS. "Službeni glasnik Grada Zagreba". www1.zagreb.hr.
  6. "zagreb.hr – Političke stranke u Gradskoj skupštini (The Political parties structure)". Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  7. http://www.skupstina.zagreb.hr/default.aspx?id=605
  8. "Croatia's Zagreb Courts Controversy with Potential UAE Makeover". April 4, 2019.
  9. Caucaso, Osservatorio Balcani e. "Zagreb is ours, a movement on the side of citizens". Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso.
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