PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL OF THE BUDGET IN FRANCE: IMPLICATIONS OF “NEW FINANCIAL CONSTITUTION”...

Rabrenović, Aleksandra (2009) PARLIAMENTARY CONTROL OF THE BUDGET IN FRANCE: IMPLICATIONS OF “NEW FINANCIAL CONSTITUTION”... Strani pravni život (2). pp. 55-69. ISSN 0039-2138

Text document (18).pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (108kB)

Abstract

The paper analyses a substantive reform of the budget control frame-work in France enabled through the adoption of La loi organique relativeaux lois de finances (LOLF) in 2001, so-called new French “FinancialConstitution”.1The focus of the paper is on the increasing role of the Par-liament in holding the Government to account for the stewardship of pub-lic money and improving the transparency of expenditure allocation.Under the new legal framework, MPs are given the right to make amend-ments to a modernised, programme budget framework and are providedwith much better information on the overall economic, social and finan-cial situation in the country at the time the budget is discussed. TheLOLF also provides the Finance Committees of both Assemblies of theParliament greater investigative and hearing powers.Whereas the first signs of the LOLF implementation have beenencouraging, especially regarding the Parliamentary power over thebudget approval, it still remains to be seen whether the Parliament wouldhave sufficient strength and capacity to effectively keep the executive toaccount after the money is spent. In this sense, the author argues forimprovement of the relations between the Parliament and the Cour desComptes and for strengthening of the role of Mission d’Evalution et deControle (MEC), as newly established subcommittee of the French Par-liament Finance Committee, which should play an increasingly importantpart in holding the Government to account for the French taxpayersmoney.

Actions (login required)

View Item