THE FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH OF THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA IN ITS ENTIRETY:

"Dear Chairperson and Committee members,

Dear President and judges of the Constitutional Court,

Dear Prime Minister,

Your excellencies,

Dear representatives of the judiciary,

On behalf of the National Assembly, I would like to thank you for attending today's public hearing organised by our Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues. Your participation tells me that we will have a very broad and substantive discussion that will undoubtedly help us find the best solutions to the constitutional change.

You know that I am an advocate of the widest possible public debate on the changes to the Constitution, because I believe that it is the only way to reach a solution that will ensure respect for democratic principles and even more compelling legal security in the long run. The Constitution does not change every day. My, and not only mine, understanding of the legal order is that the longevity of constitutional provisions is a prerequisite for the stability and functionality of the legal system, as a guarantee of full respect for human and civil liberties, separation of powers and other fundamental principles of modern democracy.

With today's public hearing, we are launching a public debate from which we expect to receive useful suggestions and opinions from the widest range of stakeholders, primarily from the judiciary, as well as experts, universities and all those who can contribute to finding real and sustainable changes. The moment these changes are made, they will apply to all of us for a long time, and that is why it is vital to approach them now with the utmost seriousness.

Given that there have been some worries in the public, I will once again remind you that what we have before us is the task of changing those provisions of the Constitution that concern the judiciary, that is, the manner of electing judicial functions. There will be no other changes. We approach these changes primarily as our obligation arising from the process of accession to the European Union, but that this is not our only motive. We need our constitutional system to be such as to enable maximum protection and equality of the citizens before the law, where a new, more modern way of electing judicial office-holders will be a strong guarantee of these rights.

The role of the National Assembly is extremely important in this phase of constitutional changes, so today's public hearing should be seen as an introduction to a preparatory procedure which we expect to yield solutions that will best improve our constitutional system.

I would like to remind you that the whole process of constitutional amendment is very complex, stipulating, very precisely, several stages, with the obligation that the parliamentary legislature that initiates the change to the Constitution should end it. Of course, including a referendum in which the citizens would vote on the proposed changes.

Our goal with these public debates, which we are starting today and there will be more, is to achieve the greatest possible agreement on future constitutional changes in order to ensure that these changes are efficient, fair, as well as long-standing. In that, we need the cooperation of all of you and your good intention to quickly and successfully fulfil one great obligation, primarily to our citizens, to the people in the judiciary, as well as to our European partners. I am convinced that we will come up with good solutions and to that end I offer you the full cooperation of the National Assembly, as an institution that plays a key role in the process of constitutional change.

I wish you a good and fruitful discussion, thank you once again for responding to the invitation of our Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Issues and I hope to see you at the coming public debates on this extremely important topic.

Thank you!"