Additional information about gender quotas

After the implementation of the law in 2008, a gradual increase of representation should be achieved within the next three regular elections. In terms of the parliamentary elections of 2011, (35% of women were on the ballots), however, only 24% of women were elected to seats in parliament, up from 20% in the previous elections. Therefore, according to Article 15(2) the gradual increase, should be achieved by the 2020 elections.

Political Parties: incentivized recruitment on the local and regional level of under-represented gender.  According to Article 6 , “For each elected deputy or member of the representative body of a local and regional governmental unit who belongs to an under-represented gender, political parties shall also be entitled to a bonus of 10% of the amount allocated for each deputy or member of the representative body of such local and regional governmental unit, as specified in Article 5(1) of this Act.”

“Following the formation of the government, the percentage of women in parliament reached the 30% mark. A legislated candidate quota (40%) was introduced in 2008. It was subsequently loosened to replace sanctions with financial incentives. The decision to revise the sanctions reflects a 2015 Constitutional Court decision which states that the disqualification of incompliant lists would be disproportionate given that the Law on Gender Equality provides for a fine. In 2020, thirty-nine party candidate lists (20%) failed to respect the quota, including the governing party, resulting in fewer women candidates overall and fewer women at the head of the lists” (Inter-Parlamentary Union 2021, p. 9)