Government participation in parliamentary discussions

In plenary sessions, the government is represented at the political level

Review of the parliamentary reports and internal statistics from the parliamentary administration concerning the participation of political-level government official representatives (ministers or deputies) in the plenary sessions. Interviews with the staff of the parliament and selected members of parliament (if possible) to confirm the government is always participating in the plenary sessions at the political level when issues under their policy area are being discussed. Evidence of no participation of the political-level government representatives in at least one of the official discussions at the plenary sessions (during the last full calendar year or the most recent) when issues related to government policies or draft laws relevant to their area of responsibility are discussed and without official explanation (e.g. emergency, sickness), is sufficient for considering the criterion as not being fulfilled.

In committee sessions, the government is always represented in discussions on relevant policy issues

Review of parliamentary reports and internal statistics, interviews with parliamentary staff and selected members of parliament, to confirm that an official representative of government is always present at parliamentary committee discussions when required and/or invited (at the political or senior administrative levels). Evidence of no participation of the government representatives in at least one of the official parliamentary committee discussions (during the last full calendar year or the most recent) of policy issues relevant to their area of responsibility is sufficient for the criterion to be considered not fulfilled (e.g. when a parliamentary committee invites the government to send an official representative to their meetings but they do not attend the meetings).