Chancellor of Delkora
Chancellor of Delkora | |
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![]() Federal Coat of Arms | |
Member of | Federal Executive Cabinet |
Reports to | Federal Parliament |
Residence | Chancellery Building |
Seat | Norenstal, Delkora |
Nominator | Chamber of Representatives |
Appointer | The Monarch |
Term length | Four years Renewable indefinitely as long as the incumbent has the confidence of the Chamber of Representatives |
Constituting instrument | Delkoran Constitution |
Formation | 1 December 1833 |
First holder | Edvard af Telberath |
Salary | 250,000 NSD annually |
The Chancellor of Delkora is the head of government of the Kingdom of Delkora. He or she presides over the Federal Executive Cabinet and carries out government policy in the name of the monarch. The chancellor is generally the leader of the largest political party in the Chamber of Representatives in the Federal Parliament, and must be a member of that body. Since 1833, there have been 23 chancellors. The current chancellor, Adric Azengaard, took office in 2014, leading the country's first traffic light coalition consisting of the Liberal Party, National Labor, and the Greens.
History
The position of chancellor in Delkora dates as far back as 1732, when the position was created as part of a set of legal reforms implemented by Falymyr IV, although the modern chancellorship did not come into existence until 1833 with the drafting a of a new constitution in the aftermath of the Delkoran Civil War. Prior to this, the chancellor was appointed by the monarch and their role was essentially limited to that of a senior adviser who lacked any independent authority. Most were members of the aristocracy who were appointed on the basis of having a strong personal relationship with the monarch.
The new constitution ratified in 1833 fundamentally changed this arrangement by adopting a parliamentary system of government. The monarch retained formal sovereignty, but was now constitutionally obligated to act on the advice of the chancellor, effectively making the chancellor the de facto head of the executive branch. Observers have also noted the change in the relationship between the chancellor and the public. Prior to the assassination of Hjalmar Gameryn in 1959, it was not uncommon for Delkoran chancellors to go about their daily business unaccompanied by guards and in some cases use public transportation. During some chancellorships, the chancellor's official residence was not guarded, and members of the public could walk in and speak with the chancellor if he or she was available. Since 1959, the chancellor's residence has been heavily guarded, and chancellors are always accompanied by agents of the Kingsguard when traveling. Chancellors also now rarely use public transportation, and are provided an official car, plane, and helicopter for travel.
Appointment
After convening following a federal election, the Chamber of Representatives works to nominate a candidate for chancellor. The leader of the largest party typically spearheads the effort to form a coalition government, since it is rare for a single party to gain a majority. Once a government has been formed, it presents its chancellor candidate, typically the leader of the largest party in the coalition, to the chamber. After being approved, the chancellor candidate is then presented to the monarch, who is constitutionally obligated to appoint him or her. The chancellor can remain in office indefinitely as long as their coalition has a working majority, although they can be removed by a vote of no confidence from the Chamber of Representatives.
Authority
The Delkoran Constitution gives the chancellor the responsibilities of overseeing the day-to-day administration of the federal government, enforcing federal laws, conducting diplomacy on behalf of the Kingdom and negotiating treaties with foreign states, appointing members of the federal judiciary, ambassadors, and other high-ranking executive officials, and commanding the Royal Delkoran Armed Forces and commissioning its officers. In addition, the chancellor has the authority to issue executive decrees that manage the operation of federal agencies and have the force of law until rescinded or superseded by an act of Parliament or struck down by a court order. Although the chancellor retains their seat in the Federal Parliament upon taking office, including voting privileges, they and other members of the Federal Executive Cabinet are barred from sitting on committees and are not normally permitted to be present on the floor of the Chamber of Representatives without an invitation from the speaker.
Living former chancellors
As of December 2018, there are three living former Chancellors: Emma Jørgensen (age 56), who served from 1994 to 2002, Kol Vossgaard (age 60), who served from 2002 to 2006, and Harald Møller (age 70), who served from 2006 to 2014.