A
prime minister may be either:
[[Winston Churchill Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940-1945, 1951-1955)]]
In parliamentary systems like the British
Westminster system, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of
head of state is largely ceremonial. In some
monarchies the prime minister exercises powers (known as the
Royal Prerogative) which are constitutionally vested in the Crown and can be exercised without the approval of parliament. As well as being Head of Government, a prime minister may have other roles or titles—the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, for example, is also
First Lord of the Treasury. Prime ministers may take other ministerial posts—for example during the Second World War
Winston Churchill was also Minister of Defence.
Prime ministers in republics and in monarchies
[[Kåre Willoch, Prime Minister of Norway 1981-1986]]
The post of prime minister is one which may be encountered both in constitutional
monarchies (such as
Belgium,
Denmark,
Japan, the Netherlands,
Norway,
Spain, and the
United Kingdom), and in
republics in which the head of state is an elected or unelected official with varying degrees of real power. This contrasts with the
presidential system, in which the
President (or equivalent) is both the head of state and the head of the government. See also "
First Minister" and "
Premier": alternative titles usually equivalent in meaning to "prime minister."
In some
presidential or
semi-presidential systems such as those of
France,
Russia,
South Korea, or
Taiwan the prime minister is an official generally appointed by the President but approved by the legislature and responsible for carrying out the directives of the President and managing the civil service. In these systems, it is possible for the president and the prime minister to be from different political parties if the legislature is controlled by a party different from that of the president. When it arises, such a state of affairs is usually referred to as (political)
cohabitation.
Entry into office
In parliamentary systems a prime minister can enter into office by a number of means.
- by appointment by the head of state without the need for confirmation by parliament; Example: The United Kingdom, where the monarch appoints a prime minister without the need for confirmation from parliament, which gets its first chance to indicate its view on the new government in the vote on the Speech from the Throne, in which the new government outlines its legislative programme. The method of prime ministerial appointment by the British sovereign is known as Kissing Hands.
- appointment by the head of state after parliament nominates a candidate; Example: The Republic of Ireland where the President of Ireland appoints the Taoiseach on the nomination of the Dáil Éireann.)
- appointment by the head of state after the majority parliamentary party nominates a candidate; Example: the Australian federal government, Canada, India, and New Zealand.
- the head of state nominates a candidate for prime minister who is then submitted to parliament for approval before appointment as prime minister; Example: Spain, where the King sends a nomination to parliament for approval. Also Germany where under the Basic Law (constitution) the Bundestag votes on a candidate nominated by the Federal President. In these cases, parliament can choose another candidate who then would be appointed by the head of state.)
- the head of state appoints a prime minister who has a set timescale within which s/he must gain a vote of confidence; (Example: Italy.)
- direct election by parliament (the premiers of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut);
- direct election by the public (Example: Israel, 1996-2001.); The Prime Minister is elected in a general election, with no regard to political affiliation.
- appointment by a state office holder other than the head of state or his/her representative; Example: Under the modern Instrument of Government 1974, which came into force in 1975, the power of commissioning someone to form a government was moved from the Monarch of Sweden to the Speaker of Parliament, who, once it has been approved, formally makes the appointment.
Though most prime ministers are appointed, they are generally, if inaccurately, described as elected.
Prime ministers and constitutions
[[Gough Whitlam Prime Minister of Australia in the
1970s]]
The position, power and status of prime ministers differ depending on the age of the constitution in individuals.
Britain's constitution, being uncodified and largely unwritten, makes no mention of a prime minister. Though it had
de facto existed for centuries, its first official mention in official state documents did not occur until the first decade of the twentieth century.
Australia's Constitution makes no mention of a prime minister of Australia. The office has a
de facto existence at the head of the Executive Council.
Ireland's constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann (1937) provided for the office of taoiseach in detail, listing powers, functions and duties.
Germany's Basic Law (1949) lists the powers, functions and duties of the federal
Chancellor.
Exit from office
Contrary to popular and
journalistic myth, most prime ministers in
parliamentary systems are not appointed for a specific term of office and in effect may remain in power through a number of
elections and
parliaments. For example,
Margaret Thatcher was only ever appointed prime minister on
one occasion, in 1979. She remained
continually in power until 1990, though she used the assembly of each
House of Commons after a
general election to reshuffle her cabinet. Some states, however, do have a term of office of the prime minister linked to the period in office on the
parliament. Hence the
Irish Taoiseach is formally
renominated after every
general election. (Some
constitutional experts have questioned whether this process is actually in keeping with the provisions of the
Irish constitution, which
appear to suggest a
taoiseach should remain in office, without the requirement of a renomination, unless s/he has clearly lost the
general election.) The position of Prime Minister is normally chosen from the political party that commands majority of seats in the lower house of parliament.
[[Indira Gandhi Prime Minister of India from 1966-1977 and 1980-1984]]
In
parliamentary systems,
governments are generally required to have the confidence of the
lower house of parliament (though a small minority of parliaments, by giving a right to block
Supply to
upper houses, in effect make the
cabinet responsible to both houses, though in reality
upper houses, even when they have the power, rarely exercise it). Where they lose a
vote of confidence, have a
motion of no confidence passed against them, or where they lose Supply, most
constitutional systems require either:
a) a
resignation or
b) a request of a
parliamentary dissolution.
The latter in effect allows the
government to appeal the
opposition of
parliament to the
electorate. However in many
jurisdictions a head of state
may refuse a
parliamentary dissolution, requiring the resignation of the prime minister and his or her
government. In most modern
parliamentary systems, the Prime Minister is the person who decides when to request a
parliamentary dissolution. Older
constitutions often vest this power in the
cabinet. (In
Britain, for example, the tradition whereby it is the prime minister who requests a dissolution of
parliament dates back to 1918. Prior to then, it was the
entire government that made the request. Similarly, though the modern 1937
Irish constitution grants to the
Taoiseach the right to make the request, the earlier 1922 Irish Free State Constitution vested the power in the
Executive Council (the then name for the
Irish cabinet).
Alternative titles
[[Bertie Ahern The current
Taoiseach of Ireland]]
A number of different terms are used to describe prime ministers. The German prime minister is actually titled "
Federal Chancellor" while the Irish Prime Minister is called the
Taoiseach. In many cases, though commonly used, "prime minister" is not the official title of the office-holder; the British prime minister is (usually) "First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service", and the Spanish prime minister is the "President of the Government" (''Presidente del Gobierno''). Other common forms include president (or chairman) of the Council of Ministers (for example in
Italy, as
Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri), or of the Executive Council (&c.), or "Minister-President".
Articles on prime ministers
Lists of prime ministers
The following table groups the list of past and present prime ministers and details information available in those lists.
See also
External links
Prime Minister
Category:Government occupations
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