La rénovation du Parlement

Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb

La rénovation du Parlement

Although there is a consensus about the representative parliamentary system throughout Europe, it is in a state of crisis. To renovate Parliament means to restore the essential functions of that institution: budgetary power, legislative action and control of the government. In the field of budget a reform to institute a general budget on expenditure and to impose stricter rules on the funds as well as a very tight budgetary schedule for the government, beside the budget on revenues, was passed by the House at the end of March 1989. In the legislative sphere new approaches should be considered so as to enable Parliament to reduce the complexity of the legislation, to correct badly written texts and to get rid altogether of superfluous texts. The citizens' rights can only be fully safeguarded by a well functioning legislative assembly. A rationalisation of the control on governmental action is necessary in the field of parliamentary commissions and particularly the commissions of enquiry, petitions and the scrutiny of State expenditure. To conclude it should be noted that the renovation of Parliament must go hand in hand with better relations with the common citizen.