Ryksdag of Hellona

Rijksdag of Hellona Hellander Rijksdag Hellands Riksdag
Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Higher Council (senate) People's Council
Leadership
Councillor of the higher	Alan Ungdom, HSDP (Hellonian Social-Democrats)
Speaker of the peoples	Gerry Hoogland, VPH (People's Party)
Structure
Seats	Higher Council: 101 People's Council: 451
Higher Council political groups	Government (Social Alliance)   People's Party: 5 seats   Social Democrats: 25 seats   GREEN: 17 seats   Centre: 6 seats Opposition (the Coalition)   Our Republic: 4 seats   Liberals: 21 seats   ONE: 13 seats   Conservation Party: 4 seats Other opposition   Hellonian Party: 2 seats   Asatru Party: 4 seats
Peoples-Council political groups	Government (Social Alliance)   People's Party: 24 seats   Social Democrats: 140 seats   GREEN: 41 seats   Centre: 27 seats Opposition (the Coalition)   Our Republic: 16 seats   Liberals: 87 seats   ONE: 57 seats   Conservation Party: 24 seats Other opposition   Hellonian Party: 12 seats   Asatru Party: 23 seats
Elections
Higher Council voting system	Indirect election
Peoples-Council voting system	Party-list proportional representation
Higher Council last election	26 May 1913
Peoples-Council last election	12 September 1910
Meeting place
Rijkshof Owidal, Hellona

The Rijksdag (Hellonian: Rijksdag or Hellander Rijksdag; Ellashian: Hellands Riksdagen) are the bicameral legislature of Hellona, consisting of the Senate or the High Council (Hogere Raad; Högra rådet) and the People's Council (Volkerraad; Folksrådet). The parliament meets at the Rijkshof in Owidal.

Since 1789 the People's Council has been elected by using party-list proportional representation, while the High Council is indirectly chosen by members of the provincial governmental bodies and the monarch. On rare occasions these two chambers form a united assembly; only when events regarding the Royal Family need to be voted on or a new session of the Rijksdag begins.

Name

The name Rijksdag, meaning realm diet or assembly has been in use for the Hellonian parliament since the foundation of the unitary state in 1401. Before this each province had its own assembly, called a thing (Hellonian: Ding, Ellashian: Ting) which would assemble into the States-Diet (Hellonian: Gewestelijke Dag, Ellashian: Landskapsdag). The name Rijksdag was as such meant to invoke the new unitary system that was established, as laws would now be created and upheld for and within the entire realm.

Functions

The totality of the Rijksdag forms the official representation of Hellona on a national level in the country's politics. These chambers form the legislative branch of the Hellonian state. The council of ministers and the Great-Ministers is chosen from amidst them to form the government and executive branch. As members of the government can't be members of one of the chambers of the Rijksdag, the vacant seat is filled by the next member on the party-list.

The People's Council is the de facto main chamber of the Rijksdag. In it discussions about new legislature and review of the current acting government take place. Only the People's Council has the right to propose new legislature, and when it is adopted by a majority of the chamber is sent for review to the High Council. Review of the government can be in the form of motions urging the government to take or not take certain actions. All decisions made by both chambers must be acted upon by the government.

The High Council has lost most of its powers originally granted upon it to the People's Council. It only has the power to accept or reject legislative proposals, it can't amend or initiate. A proposal that wasn't accepted is often sent back to the People's Council for review and change. As it's become less relevant in recent times, the chamber only meets once a week.

Government

After holding talks with leaders of the various party groups in the Rijksdag, the speaker of the People's Council decides on a scout. The scout will hold talks with possible government parties in order to form the government. After forming a party coalition, the parties decide which party leader will become the Prime Minister, in most cases being the senior partner.

After being elected the Prime Minister appoints the cabinet ministers and announces them to the Rijksdag. The new Government takes office at a special council held at the Royal Palace before the Monarch, at which the speakers of both chambers formally announce to the Monarch that the Rijksdag has elected a new Prime Minister and that the Prime Minister has chosen his cabinet ministers.

The Rijksdag can cast a vote of no confidence against any single cabinet minister, thus forcing a resignation. To succeed a vote of no confidence must be supported by an absolute majority in both chambers (256 members; 51 members) or it has failed.

If a vote of no confidence is cast against the Prime Minister this means the entire government is rejected. A losing government has one week to call for a general election or else the procedure of nominating a new Prime Minister starts anew.

Parties

The parties shown in bold belong to the government coalition, the Social Alliance (Veelagverbond, Fälagförbundet), led by the Social Democrats. These parties support the government of Hellona led by Great-Minister Hilda Storfjällen of the Social Democrats. Parties in the coalition are represented in the government by respective ministers. Currently four political parties, Our Republic, the Liberals, ONE and the Conservation Party, have formed the main opposition in the form of the Coalition (De Verzameling, Samlingen); shown in italics.

Name			Ideology
	People's Party Volksvlok/Folksflock (also known as Vänster in Ellashian)	V	Democratic Socialism, Left-Wing Populism
	Social Democrats Eenheidvlok/Enhetflock	E	Social Democracy
	GREEN GROEN/GRÖN	G	Eco-socialism, Green politics, Animal rights
	Centre Midden/Mitten	M	Centrism, Social liberalism
	Our Republic Onze Volksweld/Vårt Folksvåld	VW	Anti-monarchist, Social liberalism
	The Liberals De Vrijstrevers/Fristrebrarna	L	Conservative liberalism, Economic liberalism
	ONE EEN/ETT	1	Social-Conservatism, Economic liberalism
	Conservation Party Behoudsvlok/Bevarflock	B	Social-conservative, Fiscal Conservatism, Right-wing Populism
	Hellonian Party Hellander vlok/Helländares flock	H	Right-wing populism, Social-conservative, Direct democracy, Hellonian nationalism
	Asatru Party Assiertrouwvlok/Asatroflock	A	Asatru democracy, Social-conservative, Hellonian nationalism

Elections

All members of the People's Council are elected in the general elections held every four years by proportional representation. All mainland Hellonian citizens starting from the year they turn 18 are eligible to vote in and stand for elections. A minimum of 4% of the national vote is required for a party to enter the Rijksdag. Substitutes for each deputy are elected at the same time as each election, so by-elections are rare. In the event of a snap election, the newly elected members merely serve the remainder of the four-year term.

While the election for the People's Council is direct, the elections of the Higher Council are indirect. They are elected for a four-year term by provincial councillors on the basis of proportional representation at the provincial elections.