The Federation Council , unofficially Senate , is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the lower house being the State Duma . It was established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 1993.
65-774: Each of the 89 federal subjects of Russia (including two annexed in 2014 and four more in 2022 ), consisting of 24 republics , 48 oblasts , nine krais , three federal cities , four autonomous okrugs , and one autonomous oblast , sends two senators to the Council, for a total membership of 178 Senators. In addition, the Constitution also provides for senators from the Russian Federation, which can be no more than 30 (up to seven of them for life), as well as (optionally) former presidents as life senators (as of 2020 there are no such life senators). The council holds its sessions within
130-611: A government . In Belgium , a decree is a law of a community or regional parliament , e.g. the Flemish Parliament . Jus novum ( c. 1140 -1563) Jus novissimum ( c. 1563 -1918) Jus codicis (1918-present) Other Sacraments Sacramentals Sacred places Sacred times Supra-diocesan/eparchal structures Particular churches Juridic persons Philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law Clerics Office Juridic and physical persons Associations of
195-566: A Federation Council in July 1993 to gather regional representatives (except Chechnya ) to support an earlier draft of a replacement constitution to the 1978 document, this Federation Council was to become a permanent part of the legislature. The procedure of the formation of the Federation Council through elections held according to a majority system was defined by Presidential Decrees No. 1626, to take effect from 11 October 1993, "On Elections to
260-471: A general sense all documents promulgated by an ecumenical council can be called decrees, in a specific sense some of these documents, as at the Second Vatican Council , were called more precisely constitutions or declarations. Canon 29 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law defines general decrees: General decrees, by which a competent legislator makes common provisions for a community capable of receiving
325-611: A law passed by the State Duma, the two chambers are mandated to form a Conciliation Committee in order to form a compromise bill, on which both houses would have to vote again. A two-thirds majority of Duma deputies can override the Federation Council's veto. Committees form a key component of the structure of the Council. Sixteen committees and seven commissions exist for senators to consider legislation and policy on several issues ranging from foreign affairs, federal affairs, and youth and sports. Leadership in these committees are determined by
390-513: A law, are true laws and are regulated by the provisions of the canons on laws. The Holy See uses decrees from the pope such as papal bull , papal brief or motu proprio as legislative acts. The word décret , literally "decree", is an old legal usage in France and is used to refer to executive orders issued by the French President or Prime Minister . Any such order must not violate
455-513: A majority only in three of them. Four of those territories have a second official language in addition to Russian: Buryat (in two of the merged territories), Komi-Permian , Koryak . This is an exception: all the other official languages of Russia (other than Russian) are set by the Constitutions of its constituent Republics ( Mordovia , Chechnya , Dagestan etc.). The status of the "administrative-territorial regions with special status" has been
520-591: A new law passed in December 2004 required that the chairman of the Federation Council must first initiate a recall procedure. The procedure has not been used since. On 1 January 2013, the latest Law on the Procedure to Form the Federation Council entered into force: according to the Law, the Federation Council consists of two delegates from each Russian constituent component, one representing the given region's legislative assembly and
585-448: A rebellious legislature, Yeltsin presented a new constitution. With the events of 1993 very much in mind, Yeltsin drafted a constitution that called for increased executive branch powers in prime ministerial appointments, veto overrides, and a stronger executive security council. The constitution also called for the creation of a bicameral Federal Assembly, consisting of a State Duma and a Federation Council. Although Yeltsin had created
650-614: A referendum on the new Constitution of the Russian Federation . With the constitution now in effect after its successful passage, elections for the Council were to be franchised solely to territorial authorities, with one senator elected from the subject's legislature, and the other by the subject's executive branch. This was later codified in 1995 when the Council's first term expired. The constitution, however, did not specify how senators were to be elected. By 1995, using this constitutional anomaly, regional executives could sit ex officio in both their regional executive posts and within
715-502: A reform law to change the makeup of the Council, which would allow regional governors to designate councillors but not sit on the Council themselves, freeing it from what Putin saw as blatant personal cronyism on the part of regional leaders. The Council furiously resisted Putin's plan, conscious that their role in federal politics, their very ability to enjoy the fruits of living within Moscow , and their parliamentary immunity would end. With
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#1732844670934780-462: A say in choosing delegates to the Federation Council. Since 2000, the Federation Council has largely remained a stable body. However, critics have charged that Putin's tactics in reforming the Council were blatantly undemocratic and anti-federal, arguing that the reforms created a rubber stamp body for the executive branch and the ruling United Russia party , similar to what the Soviet of Nationalities
845-420: A subject of criticism because it does not appear in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In addition to those six territories that entirely ceased to be subjects of the Russian Federation and were downgraded to territories with special status, another three subjects have a status of subject but are simultaneously part of a more populated subject: With an estimated population of 49348 as of 2018, Chukotka
910-468: Is a decree inasmuch as these documents are legislative acts of the pope . In this sense, the term is quite ancient. The Roman Congregations were formerly empowered to issue decrees in matters which come under their particular jurisdiction but were forbidden from continuing to do so under Pope Benedict XV in 1917. Each ecclesiastical province and also each diocese may issue decrees in their periodical synods within their sphere of authority. While in
975-507: Is a presidential decree. Such an ukaz has the force of law, but may not alter the Russian constitution or the regulations of existing laws, and may be superseded by laws passed by the Federal Assembly . The Government of Russia can also issue decrees formally called Decisions ( Постановления Postanovleniya or Orders ( Распоряжения Rasporyazheniya ) and may not contradict
1040-468: Is currently the least populated subject of Russia that is not part of a more populated subject. It was separated from Magadan Oblast in 1993. Chukotka is one of the richest subjects of Russia (with a Gross Regional Product [GRP] per capita equivalent to that of Australia) and therefore does not fit in the pattern of merging a subject to benefit from the economic dynamism of the neighbour. In 1992, Ingushetia separated from Chechnya , both to stay away from
1105-558: The Beslan school hostage crisis in September 2004, President Putin initiated a radical shakeup of the federal system , proposing that the direct elections of regional governors be replaced by appointments by the president himself. These appointments could later be confirmed or rejected by the regional legislatures. The move further placed more control over the Council by the executive branch, due to laws that stipulate that regional executives have
1170-495: The Constitution of Russia from Russian to English uses the term "constituent entities of the Russian Federation". For example, Article 5 reads: "The Russian Federation shall consist of republics , krais , oblasts , cities of federal significance , an autonomous oblast , and autonomous okrugs , which shall have equal rights as constituent entities of the Russian Federation." A translation provided by Garant-Internet instead uses
1235-533: The Federal Assembly , and signing resolutions to be forwarded to the president or the State Duma . The current chairwoman is Valentina Matviyenko . Senators can retain membership in their respective parties. However, they are asked not to bring party factionalism to the floor itself. Since the reforms of 2000, the Council has enjoyed a significantly close relationship with the Kremlin , helping to pass key legislation
1300-534: The French Constitution or Civil Code , and a party has the right to request an order be annulled in the French Council of State . Orders must be ratified by Parliament before they can be modified into legislative Acts. Special orders known as décret-loi , literally "decree-act" or "decree-law", usually considered an illegal practice under the 3rd and 4th Republic, were finally abolished and replaced by
1365-697: The French National Assembly , the calling of new legislative elections, and the grant of the title Marshal of France . Decrees are published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française ( French Gazette ). According to clause 77 of the Italian Constitution , The Government may not, without an enabling act from the Houses [of Parliament], issue decrees having the force of ordinary law. When in extraordinary cases of necessity and urgency
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#17328446709341430-681: The USSR and did not change at the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1992, during the so-called " parade of sovereignties ", separatist sentiments and the War of Laws within Russia, the Russian regions signed the Federation Treaty ( Russian : Федеративный договор , romanized : Federativnyy dogovor ), establishing and regulating the current inner composition of Russia, based on
1495-474: The constituent entities of Russia , its top-level political divisions. According to the Constitution of Russia , the federation consists of republics , krais , oblasts , cities of federal importance , an autonomous oblast , and autonomous okrugs , all of which are equal subjects of the federation. Every federal subject has its own head , a parliament , and a constitutional court. Each subject has its own constitution or charter and legislation, although
1560-637: The constitution , the Supreme Leader delineates the general policies of the Islamic Republic. After the Russian Revolution , a government proclamation of wide meaning was called a "decree" ( декрет dekret ); a more specific proclamation was called an указ ukaz . Both terms are usually translated as 'decree'. According to the Russian Federation's 1993 constitution , an ukaz
1625-531: The Council Chairman, who remains in correspondence with their findings. These committees include: Federal subjects of Russia The federal subjects of Russia , also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation ( Russian : субъекты Российской Федерации , romanized : subyekty Rossiyskoy Federatsii ) or simply as the subjects of the federation ( Russian : субъекты федерации , romanized : subyekty federatsii ), are
1690-413: The Council after they have been adopted by the State Duma, where most legislation is introduced. Special powers that are accorded only to senators of the Federation Council are: For laws to pass the Federation Council, a vote of more than half of its 178 senators is required. When considering federal constitutional laws, three-fourths of the Council's votes are required for passage. If the Council vetoes
1755-644: The Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation" and No. 1846, from 6 November 1993, "On Specification to the Resolution on Elections of Deputies to the State Duma and Resolution on Elections of Deputies to the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in 1993". Similar to the United States Senate , the Federation Council would consist of two representatives from each of Russia's federal subjects . Unlike
1820-479: The Council of State. There exists a procedure for the Prime Minister to issue ordinances in such areas, but this procedure requires Parliament's express consent (see Art 38 of the 1958 Constitution). Orders issued by the Prime Minister take two forms: Sometimes, people refer to décrets en Conseil d'État improperly as décrets du Conseil d'État . This would imply that it is the Council of State that makes
1885-442: The Federal Assembly. Because of its federalist design and its voting franchise being strictly limited to provincial elites, the Council is viewed as less susceptible to radical changes. The Council is charged with cooperating with the State Duma in completing and voting on draft laws. Federal laws concerning budgets , customs regulations , credit monitoring, and the ratification of international treaties are to be considered by
1950-537: The Federation Council becomes the Acting President of the Russian Federation . The modern history of the Federation Council begins during the 1993 Constitutional Crisis that pitted President Boris Yeltsin's unpopular neoliberal and governmental structure reforms against the increasingly radical Congress of People's Deputies , the nation's legislature. Throughout the year, the congress had grown increasingly dissatisfied with Yeltsin and his cabinet's management of
2015-438: The Federation Council. While the State Duma held many of the serious debates on Russian policy during this time, the Council became a lobby for regional interests, competing for federal attention. The ascension of President Vladimir Putin following Yeltsin's resignation on 31 December 1999 brought many new changes to the Federation Council. As part of his top political goals in his first months of office in 2000, Putin proposed
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2080-563: The Government adopts provisional measures having the force of law, it must on the same day present said measures for confirmation to the Houses which, even if dissolved, shall be extraordinally summoned for this purpose and shall convene within five days. The decrees lose effect from their inception if they are not confirmed within sixty days from their publication. The Houses may however regulate by law legal relationships arising out of unconfirmed decrees. The effectiveness for sixty days produces
2145-552: The Kremlin desires. According to Article 98, all the members of the Council enjoy immunity from arrest, detainment, and searches. In 2007 the law regarding the Federation Council was amended, and now a senator must have resided for at least ten years in the territory being represented. The Federal Law defines the status of members of the Federation Council: "On Status of Members of the Council of Federation and Status of Deputy of
2210-663: The Main Building on Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street in Moscow , the former home of the Soviet State Building Agency ( Gosstroy ), with further offices and committee rooms located on New Arbat Avenue . The two houses of the Federal Assembly are physically separated, with the State Duma residing in another part of Moscow on Okhotny Ryad Street . Sessions of the Federation Council take place in Moscow from 25 January to 15 July and from 16 September to 31 December. Sessions are open to
2275-454: The Russian Federation is more appropriate than subject of the Russian Federation ( subject would be OK for a monarchy)". Each federal subject belongs to one of the following types: a. The largest city is also listed when it is different from the capital/administrative centre. b. According to Article 13 of the Charter of Leningrad Oblast, the governing bodies of
2340-486: The Russian presidency, this practice was discontinued under pressure from the Kremlin , forbidding governors to hold dual posts. Terms of membership in the Council are also not nationally fixed, due to the continuing territorial nature of the chamber. Terms are determined according to the regional bodies they represent. In 2001–2004 regional bodies were able to recall their senator by the same procedure by which they appointed them. Such recalls once occurred quite often. But
2405-403: The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation". The presidium consists of a chairman , four deputy chairmen , and a general secretary . Unlike the State Duma , with its division of parties and leaders, in 2002 parliamentary groups were forbidden, following Mironov's election to the chairmanship and the parliamentary procedures to disband all political factions, though
2470-416: The State Duma threatening to override a Council veto, and Putin's threats to open federal criminal investigations against regional governors, the Council backed down and grudgingly supported the law in July 2000. Consequently, a wave of new Kremlin-friendly senators took the vacated seats, with the full backing of Putin. The last of the dual senator-governors were rotated out of office in early 2002. Following
2535-460: The State Duma, which consisted of representatives from hundreds of districts nationwide, the Federation Council was to act as more or less the voice of Russia's federated subdivisions. Early debate on its creation centered on whether or not the Federation Council should be elected at all. To solve some problems on the Council's first scheduled election in December, Yeltsin issued Presidential Decree No. 1628, on 11 October, stipulating that candidates for
2600-442: The assembly, or by at least one-fifth of the assembly members. Then, the regional legislative assembly will vote to elect one of the nominated candidates. An amendment to the law was approved in July 2014, which added 17 more senators who are nominated by the president. The regional executive authority representative, the second type of delegate to the Federation Council, is appointed by the governor of that constituent component (or
2665-589: The authority of these organs differ. Subjects have equal rights in relations with federal government bodies. The subjects have equal representation – two delegates each – in the Federation Council , the upper house of the Federal Assembly . They differ in the degree of autonomy they enjoy; republics are offered more autonomy. Post-Soviet Russia formed during the history of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic within
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2730-489: The collapse of oil prices stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic . The process was scrapped on 2 July due to its unpopularity among the population. Decree A decree is a legal proclamation , usually issued by a head of state , judge , royal figure , or other relevant authorities , according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution , Legislative laws , or customary laws of
2795-417: The decree, whereas the power of decreeing is restricted to the president or prime minister; the role of the administrative sections of the council is purely advisory. Decrees may be classified into: Only the prime minister may issue regulatory or application decrees. Presidential decrees are generally nominations or exceptional measures where the law mandates a presidential decree, such as the dissolution of
2860-503: The division of authorities and powers among Russian government bodies and government bodies of constituent entities. The Federation Treaty was included in the text of the 1978 Constitution of the Russian SFSR . The current Constitution of Russia, adopted by federal referendum on 12 December 1993, came into force on 25 December 1993 and abolished the model of the Soviet system of government introduced in 1918 by Vladimir Lenin and based on
2925-410: The effects immediately, giving rights or expectations whose legal basis was precarious, especially when the conversion law never intervened. In Portugal there are several types of decree ( Portuguese : decreto ) issued by the various bodies of sovereignty or by the bodies of local government of autonomous regions . As of 2022 , there are the following types of decree: According to article 110 of
2990-534: The faithful Pars dynamica (trial procedure) Canonization Election of the Roman Pontiff Academic degrees Journals and Professional Societies Faculties of canon law Canonists Institute of consecrated life Society of apostolic life A decree ( Latin : decretum ) in the usage of the canon law of the Catholic Church has various meanings. Any papal bull , brief , or motu proprio
3055-588: The federal subjects were merged into larger territories. In this process, six very sparsely populated subjects (comprising in total 0.3% of the population of Russia) were integrated into more populated subjects, with the hope that the economic development of those territories would benefit from the much larger means of their neighbours. The merging process was finished on 1 March 2008. No new mergers have been planned since March 2008. The six territories became "administrative-territorial regions with special status". They have large proportions of minorities, with Russians being
3120-435: The first elections needed at least two percent, or 25,000 signatures—whichever was highest—of their oblast, republic, krai, autonomous okrug, or federal city population. This helped previous territorial elites remain within national politics. The decree also stipulated a single term of two years before new elections in 1995. The Council's first elections were held on 12 December 1993, simultaneously with State Duma elections and
3185-575: The floundering Russian economy , as well as with its plans for a new constitution for the Russian Federation to replace the Soviet -era 1978 Russian SFSR Constitution still in effect. Amidst the increasingly tense crisis, on 21 September, Yeltsin issued Presidential Decree No.1400. The decree effectively scrapped constitutional reform then in discussion, as well as legally dissolving the Congress of People's Deputies, ordering its replacement with an entirely new federal legislative structure, and granting
3250-527: The former code of 20 for the Chechen Republic was cancelled and replaced with code 95. License plate production was suspended due to the Chechen Wars, causing numerous issues, which in turn forced the region to use a new code. f. Claimed, but only partially controlled by Russia. g. As Russia only partially controls the region, this is a claimed figure. Starting in 2005, some of
3315-714: The growing violence in Chechnya and as a bid to obtain the Eastern part of Northern Ossetia (it did not work: the Chechen conflict spread violence to Ingushetia, and North Ossetia retained its Prigorodny District ). Those two Muslim republics, populated in vast majority (95%+) by closely related Vainakh people , speaking Vainakhish languages , remain the two poorest subjects of Russia, with the GRP per capita of Ingushetia being equivalent to that of Iraq. According to 2016 statistics, however, they are also
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#17328446709343380-416: The head of that autonomous republic). The delegate is selected from among three people named by the candidates for the office of governor/head of the concerned region. The winner of the gubernatorial/republican leadership election then appoints one of the three delegates previously named for appointment to the Council as a senator from said region. The Federation Council is viewed as the more formal chamber of
3445-481: The members are affiliated with some major Russian political parties. Unlike the State Duma and the provincial legislatures throughout Russia , the Council is not directly elected but instead is chosen by territorial politicians, resembling in some respects the structure of the U.S. Senate before the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913. The only exclusion to this was the first Federation council (1994–1996), which
3510-545: The number to 83 by 2008. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, with the Russian government claiming Sevastopol and the Republic of Crimea to be the 84th and 85th federal subjects of Russia, a move that is not recognized internationally. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , four Ukrainian oblasts were annexed by Russia, though they remain internationally recognized as part of Ukraine and are only partially occupied by Russia. An official government translation of
3575-513: The oblast are located in the city of Saint Petersburg . However, Saint Petersburg is not officially the administrative centre of the oblast. c. According to Article 24 of the Charter of Moscow Oblast, the governing bodies of the oblast are located in the city of Moscow and throughout the territory of Moscow Oblast. However, Moscow is not officially the administrative centre of the oblast. d. Internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. e. In February 2000,
3640-469: The other representing the provincial executive authorities. There will be two different election procedures, one for each member type. (Federal Law No. 229, art. 1.1.) A candidate for the Senator from a constituent component's legislature must be a member of the component region's legislative assembly. Candidates are nominated by the chairman of the regional legislative assembly, by one party faction represented in
3705-459: The political system became de jure closer to other modern federal states with a republican form of government . In the 2000s, following the policies of Vladimir Putin and of the ruling United Russia party, the Russian parliament changed the distribution of tax revenues, reduced the number of elections in the regions and gave more power to the federal authorities. The Russian Federation was composed of 89 federal subjects in 1993. Mergers reduced
3770-575: The president increased executive powers. Following a war of words and acts of defiance from both sides, President Yeltsin abruptly ended the governmental power struggle by ordering the Russian army to bombard and storm the White House of Russia , the legislative building, between 2–4 October 1993. Following the crushing of the Congress of People's Deputies and other members of the federal and territorial governments who had initially supported what he viewed as
3835-401: The public, although the location of sessions can change if the Federation Council so desires, and secure closed sessions may be convoked. For purposes of succession , the speaker ( chairman ) of the Federation Council is the third-highest position in the Russian Federation, after the president and the prime minister. In the case of incapacity of the president and prime minister, the chairman of
3900-519: The regulations under the 1958 Constitution. Except for the reserve powers of the President (as stated in Art. 16 of the 1958 Constitution, exercised only once so far), the executive can issue decrees in areas that the Constitution grants as the responsibility of Parliament only if a law authorizes it to do so. In other cases, orders are illegal and, should anyone sue for the order's annulment, it would be voided by
3965-475: The right to secede from the country and on unlimited sovereignty of federal subjects (in practice secession was never allowed), which conflicts with the country's integrity and federal laws. The new constitution eliminated a number of legal conflicts, reserved the rights of the regions, introduced local self-government and did not grant the Soviet-era right to secede from the country. In the late 1990s and early 2000s
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#17328446709344030-499: The safest regions of Russia, and also have the lowest alcohol consumption, with alcohol poisoning at least 40 times lower than the federal average. Until 1994, Sokolsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast was part of Ivanovo Oblast . In 2011–2012, the territory of Moscow increased by 140% (to 2,511 km (970 sq mi)) by acquiring part of Moscow Oblast . On 13 May 2020, the governors of Arkhangelsk Oblast and Nenets Autonomous Okrug announced their plan to merge following
4095-409: The term "subjects of the Russian Federation". Tom Fennell, a translator, told the 2008 American Translators Association conference that "constituent entity of the Russian Federation" is a better translation than "subject". This was supported by Tamara Nekrasova, Head of Translation Department at Goltsblat BLP , who said in a 2011 presentation at a translators conference that " constituent entity of
4160-616: Was during the Soviet period. As set in Article 101 of the Russian Constitution , the Federation Council "shall elect among its deputies the chairman of the Council." Some of the Chairman's official duties include presiding over sessions, formulating and introducing draft agendas, issuing orders and consulting with the Council's various committees, acting as the Council's official representative in
4225-431: Was elected on 12 December 1993. According to Article 95, the Council comprises representatives of each Russian federal subject—two from each. The provincial legislature elects one senator, and the other is nominated by the provincial governor and confirmed by the legislature. Before 2000, all provincial governors and heads of provincial legislatures were also members of the Council. Upon President Putin's ascension to
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