One body, many tasks
The Council represents the electorate and exercises the legislative mandate on its behalf. At the start of each legislature it appoints the members of the State Congress, of the Council of the XII, of the Collegio Garante and of the other magistracies provided for by the legal order. Every six months it elects the new pair of Captains Regent from among its own members.
The assembly works through five Permanent Council Commissions, each of fifteen members chosen proportionally among the parliamentary groups. Plenary sessions are public save for exceptions, and the quorum is set by the Council Regulations.
| Category | Condition |
|---|---|
| Age | At least 25 completed years on election day |
| Citizenship | Sammarinese citizenship (for foreign-born married women, at least 5 years from acquisition) |
| Family incompatibilities | No direct kinship with another Councillor |
| Civil and political rights | Full political rights, no criminal convictions, not interdicted for infirmity |
| Incompatible offices | No ecclesiastical, diplomatic or consular offices of foreign States, even honorary |
| Incompatible functions | No membership in a Giunta di Castello, the gendarmerie or the local police |
The electoral system
The system is proportional. The voter casts a single vote for the list and may indicate up to three preferences among its candidates. Seats are allocated in proportion to the valid votes obtained, with thresholds and stability premiums defined by the relevant electoral law.
The Council holds the power of legislative initiative together with the State Congress. It approves the State budget, primary-rank laws and ratifies regency decrees within three months of issuance.