CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA

The 1991 the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia established the cultural rights of the population, including the right to artistic expression and several legal instruments concerned with intellectual property.

The Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia was adopted by the Slovenian National Assembly on December 23, The document is divided into ten chapters: 1.General provisions 2.Human rights and fundamental freedoms 3.Economic and social relations 4.Organization of the State 5.Self-Government 6.Public finance 7.Constitutionality and legality 8.The Constitutional court 9.Procedure for amending the Constitution 10.Transitional and final provisions

On March 7, 2003 the constitution was changed to allow Slovenia to enter the European Union and NATO On June 23, 2004 to the Constitution were made three amendments about local communities' elections, pensions and fundamental freedoms

The highest body of state administration The Government consists of the Prime Minister and other ministers. The Government and the ministers are independent within the framework of their jurisdiction, and responsible to the National Assembly. GOVERNMENT

SLOVENIAN PARLIAMENT Slovenia is parliamentary democratic republic The head of state is the President The acting authority is the government of the Republic of Slovenia, lead by the Prime Minister and composed of several different ministers.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Ninety members, including a member of the Hungarian and a member of the Italian minority Four-year mandate Legislative, voting and supervising function Ratifies constitutions, passes laws, calls referendums, elects the Prime minister and leader of the assembly itself It has more voting functions the other lower houses of parliament

NATIONAL COUNCIL Forty members It is the representative body for social, economic, professional and local interests. It is composed of: –representatives of labour and social interests (functional interests) –representatives of local interests (territorial interests)

ELECTION SYSTEM Each citizen gets universal suffrage when he completes 18 years. Participation in elections is not binding and non-participation is not sanctioned. Elections for the National Assembly are every 4 years. Elections for the National Council are every 5 years. The President is elected every five years.