Emperor of the Romans (Byzatium)
| Emperor of the Romans | |
|---|---|
| Βασιλιάς των Ρωμαίων (Greek) | |
 Emperor's Divellion | |
Incumbent Alexios X since 25 March 2010 | |
| Style | His August Majesty |
| Member of | Imperial Cabinet National Security Council Domestic Policy Council |
| Residence | East Gate Palace |
| Seat | Byzantium |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of the Roman State in the East Ancient tradition |
| Inaugural holder | Augustus Constantine the Great |
| Formation | 27 BC 306 AD |
| Succession | Agnatic succcession |
| Unofficial names | Byzantine Emperor |
The Emperor of the Romans (Βασιλιάς των Ρωμαίων Vasiliás ton Romaíon, lit. King of the Romans) is the head of state of the Byzantine Empire. The Emperor directs the Imperial Government and is the commander-in-chief of the Byzantine Armed Forces.
The Constitution of the Byzantine Empire establishes the imperial government and vests executive power in the Emperor of the Romans. The power includes the sanction, execution and enforcement of law and the responsibility to appoint executive, diplomatic, regulatory, and judicial officers. The Emperor of the Romans has primary responsibility for conducting Byzantine foreign policy.
The Emperor also plays a leading role in legislation and domestic policymaking. The constitution gives the Emperor the power to sign or veto legislation. Since immemorial times, Emperors have also made extensive use of decrees, agency regulations, and judicial appointments to shape domestic policy.
The Emperor is designated through agnatic succession, and then acclaimed by the Senate, by the Army, and by the Romans. In all, 121 individuals have reigned as Emperors spanning 1717 years (since Constantine I the Great). Alexios X is the 122nd and current Emperor of the Romans, having inaugurated on 25 March 2010.
Legislative powers
The Constitution vests the majority of lawmaking power in parliament's hands, and the Emperor is by right President of the Roman Senate.
Signing and vetoing bills
The Emperor's most significant legislative power derives from the power to veto any bill passed by the House of Representatives or by the Roman Senate. While the House or the Senate can override a presidential veto, it requires a two-thirds vote of the lower house and a Senatusconusltum by the Roman Senate against the Emperor, which is usually very difficult to achieve except for widely supported legislation. The veto – or threat of a veto – has thus evolved to make the Emperor a central part of the Byzantine legislative process.
Specifically, once a bill has been presented by Congress, the Emperor has three options:
- Sign the legislation within ten days, excluding Sundays, the bill becomes law.
- Veto the legislation within the above timeframe and return it to the House of Representatives, expressing any objections, the bill does not become law, unless the House of Representatives votes to override the veto by a two-thirds vote with a concurring Senatusconsultum.
- Take no action on the legislation within the above timeframe—the bill becomes law, as if the president had signed it, unless parliament is adjourned at the time, in which case it does not become law, which is known as a pocket veto.
Setting the agenda
Immemorial tradition empowers the Emperor to recommend such measures to parliament which the Emperor deems "necessary and expedient". This is done through a formal address, which usually outlines the president's legislative proposals for the coming year, and through other formal and informal communications with parliament.
The Emperor can be involved in crafting legislation by suggesting, requesting, or even insisting that House of Representatives enact laws he believes are needed. Additionally, he can attempt to shape legislation during the legislative process by exerting influence on individual members of the House.
The Emperor or other officials of the executive branch may draft legislation and then ask senators or representatives to introduce these drafts into their house. Additionally, the president may attempt to have the parliament alter proposed legislation by threatening to veto that legislation unless requested changes are made.
Promulgating regulations
Many laws enacted do not address every possible detail, and either explicitly or implicitly delegate powers of implementation to an appropriate institution. As the head of the executive branch, the Emperor controls a vast array of agencies and institutions that can issue regulations with little oversight from the parliament.
Emperors usually make signing statements when signing legislation about how they understand a bill or plan to execute it.
Convening and adjourning Parliament
To allow the government to act quickly in case of a major domestic or international crisis arising when the parliament is not in session, the Emperor is empowered to call a special session of one or both houses of parliament. Correspondingly, the Emperor is authorized to adjourn the parliament if the House and Senate cannot agree on the time of adjournment; the Emperor may also dissolve the House of Representatives.
Executive powers
The Emperor is head of the executive branch of the imperial government government. The executive branch has over four million employees, including the military and it is led, for routine affairs, by the Prime Minister.
Administrative powers
Emperors make political appointments. An Emperor may make up to 4,000 upon taking office, 1200 of which must be confirmed by the Roman Senate. Ambassadors, members of the Cabinet, and various officers, are among the positions filled by imperial appointment with Senate confirmation.
Generally, the Emperor may remove executive officials at will. However, to dismiss the Prime Minister and Ministers, he must receive a concurring Senatusconsultum by the Senate.
Emperors have gradually surrounded themselves with many layers of staff, who were eventually organized into the Civil Household of the Emperor of the Romans.
The president also possesses the power to manage operations of the government by issuing various types of decrees and orders, such as Imperial Proclamations and Decrees. Even so, some these directives are subject to judicial review by courts, which can find them to be unconstitutional. The Parliament can overturn an executive order through legislation.
Foreign affairs
The Emperor possesses broad power over matters of foreign policy, characterized the President as the "sole organ of the nation in its external relations" and to provide support for the Emperor's exclusive authority to grant recognition to a foreign government. The Constitution also empowers the Emperor to appoint ambassadors, and to propose and chiefly negotiate agreements between the Empire and other countries. Such agreements, upon receiving the advice and consent of the Roman Senate, become binding with the force of law.
Commander-in-chief
One of the most important of executive powers is the Emperor's role as commander-in-chief of the Byzantine Armed Forces. The power to declare war is vested in Senate, but the Emperor has ultimate responsibility for the direction and disposition of the military.
The Senate must authorize any troop deployments longer than 120 days. Additionally, the Senate provides a check to military power through its control over military spending and regulation. Emperors have historically initiated the process for going to war.
The amount of military detail handled personally by the Emperor in wartime has varied greatly. Historically, Emperors led their troops in the field and until 19th century they were involved in day-to-day strategy making. The present-day operational command of the Armed Forces is delegated to the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff.
Juridical powers and privileges
The president has the power to nominate judges. However, senior nominations require Senate confirmation before they may take office. Securing Senate approval may provide a major obstacle. When nominating judges, Emperors often respect the long-standing tradition of senatorial courtesy. The Emperor may also grant pardons and reprieves.
The Emperor is empowered to withhold from disclosure any communications made directly to the Emperor. Additionally, courts have allowed this privilege to radiate outward and protect other executive branch employees, but have weakened that protection for those executive branch communications that do not involve the Emperor.
The state secrets privilegeì allows the Emperor to withhold information or documents from discovery in legal proceedings if such release would harm national security. The Emperor has personal absolute immunity against civil suits and criminal cases.
Residence
The East Gate Palace in Byzantium is the official residence of the Emperor. The site was selected by Theodore III , and the cornerstone was laid in 1624. The government pays for state dinners and other official functions, but the Emperor's own pursuary pays for personal, family, and guest dry cleaning and food.
Old Camps, a military camp in Thrace, is the Emperor's country residence. A place of solitude and tranquility, the site has been used extensively to host foreign dignitaries since the 1940s
Tulip Palace serves as the Emperor's official guest house and as a secondary residence for the Emperor if needed.
Protection
The Byzantine Imperial Guard is charged with protecting the Emperor and the imperial family.
Order of succession
The succession to the imperial throne of the Roman State in the East is the result of a centuries-old evolution. In theory, the principle of selecting the individual most suitable to lead the State applies: the reigning Emperor selects his heir and he is confirmed by the Roman Senate and the Armed Forces.
In practice, the principle of male preference primogeniture applies: the reigning Emperor systematically indicates his first-born male child as Heir and the confirmation of the Senate and the Armed Forces is taken for granted if a formal opposition does not arise within a short time from the official proclamation. This form of succeession accords succession to the throne to a female member of a dynasty if and only if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.
When an Emperor dies without a designated heir, the Roman Senate and the Armed Forces elect a new Emperor who is judged to be a valid and capable leader. On such occasions, the Armed Forces are represented by the National Security Council, while the Senate is integrated into its composition by the leadership of the House of Representatives and by those leading politicians who are not already members of the Senate itself.
Divellion
The Divellion (Greek: διβέλλιον) is the personal flag of the Emperor of the Romans. It is a square purple flag with a golden cross.
The Divellion is often displayed by the Emperor in official photos, or flown next to the casket of an Emperor in official funeral processions, and flown on the Emperor's motorcade. The Divellion is flown at half-staff between the death of an Emperor and the official ascension of the successor. The Divellion is carried by the Royal Standard Bearer on official events.