Politics of the Erishlands
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Political system of the Erish Realm Politisch't system af det Erischryk | |
|---|---|
| Polity type | Unitary semi-presidential constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Erish Realm |
| Legislative branch | |
| Name | Ryksdag |
| Type | Bicameral |
| Meeting place | Ryksdag building |
| Upper house | |
| Name | Landsting |
| Presiding officer | Liexne III, President of the Landsting |
| Appointer | Hereditary |
| Lower house | |
| Name | Folksting |
| Presiding officer | Eirik Geiralkson, Speaker of the Folksting |
| Appointer | Direct popular vote (two rounds if necessary) |
| Executive branch | |
| Head of State | |
| Title | Monarch |
| Currently | Liexne III |
| Appointer | Hereditary |
| Head of Government | |
| Title | Realm President |
| Currently | Eirik Geiralkson |
| Appointer | Direct popular vote (two rounds if necessary) |
| Cabinet | |
| Name | Realm Cabinet |
| Current cabinet | First Geustavson cabinet |
| Leader | Realm Chancellor |
| Appointer | President |
| Ministries | 13 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Name | Erish judiciary |
| Supreme Court | |
| Chief judge | Rif Routgeirson |
The politics of Erishland take place within the framework of a representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Under the 1948 Constitution of the Erish Realm, the authority of the state derives from the public will, and it is obligated to uphold both "the provisions and soul of the constitution".
The Erish political system operates as a semi-presidential constitutional monarchy, wherein the monarch, currently Queen Liexne III, acts as head of state, whilst the duties of head of government are carried out by the Realm President, currently Eirik Geiralkson, and the Realm Cabinet headed by the Realm Chancellor, currently Aleiv Geustavson. The Erish legislature, the Ryksdag, is composed of the lower Folksting and upper Landsting. The Folksting is the originator of all legislation, which the Senate reserves the de jure power to reject; both houses maintain extensive oversight powers of the executive branch. The President and monarch are the ceremonial speakers of the Folksting and Landsting, but delegate their duties to deputies. The judiciary is independent, and follows a civil system of law. The highest court, the Supreme Court, has the power to strike down unconstitutional laws.
Erishland has a multi-party system, though it is dominated by the Democratic and Liberal parties. Members of the Folksting are elected through mixed-member proportional representation every three years, and have the power to remove members of the Cabinet, or the Cabinet as a whole, via a vote of no confidence. Because it is rare for even a coalition to hold a majority of Folksting seats, minority governments are commonplace. Custom dictates that the largest coalition with the most seats forms the Cabinet; the first Geustavson Cabinet is the result of a coalition between the Democratic and Labour parties. In situations where the President and largest coalition are politically opposed, the President retains authority over matters of defense and foreign policy, whilst the Chancellor and Cabinet take charge of all other areas.
Constitution
Monarchy and presidency
Within the Erish political system, the role of head of state is officially held by both the monarch, currently Queen Liexne III, and the Realm President, currently Eirik Geiralkson. The monarch inherits their station, whilst the president is elected to a single, non-renewable six-year term by a national popular vote. Both the monarch and the president are the only persons in government to be members of all three branches of government: the monarch and president officially preside over the Landsting and Folksting respectively, and together over the national Court of Assizes, though these duties are normally delegated.
Under the constitution, executive power is placed in an institution called the Realm Office (Erish: Rykambet), which is composed of the monarch and the president. In a de jure sense, the monarch and president are mostly coequal heads of state and government who may only exercise executive power by consent of the other. This coequality exists as a set of reserve powers to countermand the President in exceptional circumstances; the monarch additionally retains exclusive reserve powers to dismiss appointed executive officials and to dissolve either house of the Ryksdag, although both are subject to limitations.
In practice, beyond the monarch and President participating in certain official state ceremonies such as reception of foreign officials, the monarch is a mostly ceremonial figure; it is for this purpose that the monarch is considered head of state, whilst the president is a head of government. Nonetheless, the monarch still is generally considered to have the right to be consulted by, to advise, and to warn the President and the Realm Cabinet during monthly meetings of the Cabinet which include them.
Legislative branch
The Erish legislature, the Ryksdag, is bicameral, consisting of the Folksting and the Landsting. Similar to other democracies, the lower Folksting is considered to be more powerful than the upper Landsting, most especially due to the former having the sole power to initiate laws. Nonetheless, all legislation, including budget bills, must first pass the Landsting before it can be submitted to the president and monarch for assent. Both houses have extensive oversight powers over the executive branch, and are involved with the formation of the Cabinet, with the Landsting's approval being required to confirm Chancellors appointed by the President, and the Folksting having the authority to remove members of the Cabinet (or the Cabinet collectively) by a vote of no confidence.
Folksting
The Folksting consists of 240 Deputies that are directly elected every three years by mixed-member proportional representation; half of these deputies are elected in single-seat districts by plurality voting, whilst the other half of seats are apportioned such that the overall number of seats held by parties represents a national proportional vote. In order to qualify for these apportioned seats, a party must either win one district, or receive at least five percent of the proportional vote. In Erish political culture, the deputies elected to represent particular constituencies are held to be particularly representative due to being required to hold regular meetings with their constituents and to draft legislation proposed by at least a quarter of their constituency, as well as their ability to be subjected to recall elections.
The Folksting is the sole initiator of legislation at the national level; the president, Senators of the Landsting, and the aforementioned constituencies may "suggest" laws, but the prerogative to actually initiate the legislative process exclusively belongs to the Folksting. It is the house of the Ryksdag which oversees the execution of domestic policy, although it nevertheless maintains the Foreign Affairs Committee and Military Affairs Committee. The chamber wields the power to, by an absolute two-thirds majority, instigate an impeachment trial against any officer of the national government, up to and including the monarch themselves. Furthermore, by an absolute majority vote of no confidence, the Folksting may remove individual members of the Cabinet, or the Cabinet as a whole.
Landsting
The Landsting is comprised of 80 Senators who are elected via proportional representation every six years by the Land Assemblies. Any legislation passed by at least a simple majority of Deputies in the Folksting must receive the approval of an absolute majority of the body in order to be sent to the president and monarch for assent, though an absolute majority of it rejecting the bill is required for the latter to be sent back to the Folksting. Failure of the Landsting to either approve or reject a bill by the end of the next session of the Folksting automatically dissolves the chamber.
Similar to the Folksting, the Landsting has oversight powers over the executive branch, although they are primarily oriented towards foreign and defense policy. In particular, it is the body which approves treaties and the opening of relations with another country, declares war, and supervises the military. Chancellors appointed by the president (and implicitly consented to by the monarch) must be confirmed by the Landsting.