Constitution of Serbia

The current Constitution of Serbia was approved by a referendum held in 2006 during October 28 and October 29. It was officially proclaimed by the Parliament of Serbia on 8 November 2006, replacing the Constitution of 1990. Previous Serbian constitutions were adopted during the Principality and Kingdom periods in 1835, 1838, 1869, 1888, 1901 and 1903, and, for the Socialist Republic of Serbia, in 1947, 1963 and 1974.

Constitution

In the preamble, Kosovo is defined as an "integral part" of Serbia with "fundamental autonomy"; the first article then defines Serbia as a "state of the Serbian people and all citizens". It also defines Serbia as an independent state for the first time since 1918.

Among the constitution's two hundred other articles are guarantees of human rights, including minority rights and the banning of capital punishment and human cloning. It also grants a form of self-rule and economic autonomy for the province of Vojvodina. It assigns Cyrillic as the only alphabet for official use, while making provisions for the use of minority languages at local levels.

Among the differences between the new constitution and its 1990 predecessor:

• Only private, corporate and public property is acknowledged; social assets cease to exist and shall be transferred to private.
• Foreign citizens are permitted to own property.
• Reappointment of judges
• The President is the Commander in Chief of the army.
• The constitution mentions "European values and standards" for the first time.
• Full independence is granted to the National Bank of Serbia.
• As part of a process of decentralization, the granting of municipal properties' ownership rights to local municipalities.
• Vojvodina is granted economic autonomy.
• The adoption of an official Serbian anthem, Bože pravde.
• Special protection for the rights of consumers, mothers, children and minorities.
• Greater freedom of information.

Kosovo in the Constitution

Under the oppinion of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission), the respect to substantial autonomy, an examination of the Constitution, makes it clear that this substantial autonomy of Kosovo is not at all guaranteed at the constitutional level, as the Constitution delegates almost every important aspect of this autonomy to the legislature.

Language in the Constitution of Serbia

In the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia (1990-2006) as the official language was proclaimed Serbo-Croatian language. The new Constitution brought back Serbian language.

See also

• Serbian constitutional referendum, 2006
• Constitutional status of Kosovo

References

External links

• Constitution of Republic of Serbia
• Adopted constitution
• "Rare unity over Serb constitution", BBC News, 30 October 2006
• Opinion on the Constitution of Serbia adopted by the Commission at its 70th plenary session (Venice, 17-18 March 2007) [[19 March] 2007.]