Politics of Barrayar
The politics of Barrayar takes place in the framework of a non-constitutional quasi-parliamentary feudal monarchy. According to the Barrayaran laws and customs, the Emperor of Barrayar is head of state, and of a system with executive power exercised by his government. Legislative power is vested in the Emperor, assisted by the Council of Ministers (which exercises also an inspection activity over some Emperor's unilater acts alongside the Council of Counts) and in the Council of Counts, with the Council of Little Pepople playing an auxilary role, while the Emperor and his government issue numerous legally binding by-laws.
Vor class
The Vor class is the warrior aristocracy of Barrayar and the ruling class of the Empire. The nobility might be either inherited or conferred by the Emperor, although no appointment has ever been made by successors of the establishing Emperor. Being Vor is an acknowledged pre-eminence that is hereditary, i.e. all legitimate, male-line descendants of Vor people are Vor.
The Vor class has always been only one of several other classes (horizontal subdivisions) and castes (vertical subdivisions) on Barrayar, including teaching, science, farming and other ones. During earliest periods of Time of Isolation, however, the Vor warrior caste rose in prominence, making the warrior caste also an horizontal subdivision.
Being Vor is a matter of pre-definite occupation rather than of hereditary aristocracy; a Vor is a Vor if his or her status is transferred by inheritance or is bestowed by the Emperor. The High Vors retains feudal rights and full political representation, while the other Vors have less (but still consistent) privileges. All High Vors are Tenants-in-Chief. Counts and their heirs cannot be tried in standard courts: they can only be tried in the Council of Counts. However, they face tighter rules in their everyday lives. For instance, the charge of mutiny in the military becomes treason when applied to a Count or his heirs.
Even nowadays, in the Vors' worldsview, the military service within the military is considered a somewhat more prestigious career than other occupations. However, a trade occupation is not considered as a dishonourable profession and Vor tradesmen or industrialists are respected.
Emperor of Barrayar
The Emperor of Barrayar is the hub and heart of the political system of Barrayar. According to the official doctrine, the Empire of Barrayar is a global monarchy, a "commonwealth of the whole world, whose unity transcends every minor distinction"; and the Emperor is entitled to the obedience of the whole Imperium (i.e. the complex of the societies composing the Empire). The Emperor therefore exercises:
- Legislative power is exercised by the Crown-in-Council. The Council of Counts can approve or reject the laws, although decrees and regulations are issued under the sole responsibility of the Emperor.
- Executive power is exercised by the Government of the Empire, on the basis of directives issued by the Emperor and subject to the confidence relationship between the Prime Minister of the Empire and the Emperor. However, the Emperor still retains the exclusive right to appoint officials and public employees, as well as to issue orders without the need of the Ministers' countersigns.
- Judicial power is exercised by Judges and Prosecutors, which enjoy judicial independence from the government but not full independence from the Emperor.
The Monarchy has, in addition to participation crucial to the three classic powers, a fourth power, higher than the other three powers: this power is to act as arbiter and moderator. The supreme command of the nation in arms comes from the power of acting as the supreme arbiter. In his capacity as supreme power, the Emperor, and the institution of the Monarchy, retains the right and the duty to intervene, mainly in cases of emergency.
A metaphor exists likening Emperor to the father, and all of the subjects of the Empire, to his children. To the common people, the Emperor is seen as responsible for all good in their lives, while all disasters came from meddling bureaucrats, functionaries, and nobles. The centre of the Barrayaran autocracy is the person of the Emperor himself, a sovereign with near absolute authority. Power is further entrusted by him to persons and institutions, acting in his name, by his orders, and within the limits laid down for them by law.
The other key feature is related to patrimonialism. In Barrayar the Emperor owns a relevant proportion of the state (the entire planet of Sergyar, lands, enterprises, etc.).
Descending to the duty to sanction the best way possible, the Emperor has a very active part in the government, and with his powers he must act as a counterweight to the interests of a party, to their deviations and their excesses. The Sovereign has the fundamental right and duty to determine, support, correct and confirm a certain political line: in this way it becomes the National policy. In the presence of a real monarchy, the value of service is enhanced and a higher value to the Republican State.
Government of Barrayar
Theoretically, ultimate power is held by the Emperor, and descends from him to the 60 Counts, who administer their Districts in his name: however, Government's primary legislation has to pass trough the Council of Counts, which is not merely a rubber stamp for the Emperor. The monarch selects the Prime Minister as the political leader most likely to command a majority in the Council of Counts.
The Prime Minister and the Ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the Council of Ministers, which also serves as an auxiliary part of Barrayaran parliament. Executive authority lies with the monarch, on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.
The Barrayaran Emperor is the Head of State and takes a direct part in government. Some decisions to exercise sovereign powers are delegated from the Monarch to Ministers or other public bodies, although the Sovereign retains all power to withdraw the delegation. The Government has the Emperor as both chief executive and chief legislator. He's "advised" by the Council of Counts and the Council of Ministers.
Due to the central role of the Emperor, the activities of the executive branch are significantly influenced by him: it is the Emperor who appoints and dismisses the Prime Minister and other members of the government; the Emperor may chair the meetings of the cabinet and give obligatory orders to the Prime Minister and other members of the government and the Emperor may also revoke any act of the government.
Council of Ministers
A Minister is a member of the Council of Ministers, and acts as an advisory against the Prime Minister and the Emperor and, on the other hand, is an organ placed in charge of a Ministry. In the Empire of Barrayar, a Minister is the person who seats in the Council of Ministers and in charge of a Government Ministry, usually with extremely long tenures in office.
The Council of Ministers is a Council that serve as Barrayar's auxiliary branch of the parliament, working in this capacity alongside the Council of Counts.
The Council of Ministers is significantly smaller than the Council of Counts, since there are only, by law, 15 Ministers with voting rights: the Prime Minister in his own capacity as Prime Minister has voting rights as well as other Ministers, but he does not cumulate additional voting rights of the specific Ministry he may lead directly.
Ministries
A Barrayaran Ministry is the primary governmental organisation, headed by a minister, that is meant to manage a specific sector of public administration. The Ministry exercises public functions, mainly administrative, in accordance with political address set by the government. In addition to administrative duties, the Ministry may be vested with regulatory functions, especially concerning regulatory power; also in legislation, ministerial offices have a considerable role in the development of legislative proposals. Administrative functions assigned to the Ministry consist in the exercise of public authority and public authorities in providing public services.
A matrix subdivision
At first sight, there are no "special" ministries and all ministers are to observe the general guidelines of the Prime Minister of the Empire, in order to guarantee an uniform policy making. This is not entirely true: ministries and other de facto first-level government agencies are subordinated to a two other spheres of authority.
The first and the most overt level is the division between "force ministries" and other ministries more inclined towards ordinary administration and economy. First ones are more directly subordinated to the Emperor and are the Ministry of Interior, controlling emergence services, police forces and Internal Troops, the Ministry of Protection of the Imperial Loyalty, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice, with its correctional corps, as well as specific services and directorates, such as the Imperial Security. The "administrative" and "economic" ministries are more firmly under the Prime Minister's guidance. This arrangement was organized under the latter years of Emperor Gregor's reign, in order to provide his son-and-successor of a direct control of the fundamental agencies of the State.
Underneath this subdivision, also a fractionation more covert, yet not less deep and bitter, does exist: those within "Vorish" ministries and "Technocratic" ones. The "Vorish" feature is accompanied by a general view which emphasizes traditional values alongside a clear nostalgia for the aristocratic rule and is closely tied to a nostalgic lament for the perceived loss of a natural, idyllic order, contrasted to a mechanistic, technologically determined society, the latter embodied by the "technocratic" ministries and factions.
Parliament of Barrayar
The Joint Council of the Barrayaran Empire is the highest legislature of the whole Barrayaran Empire. It consists of the Council of Counts and the Council of the Little People, with the Councl of Ministers acting in an auxilary role. Both Houses are located at Vorhartung Castle, Vorbarr Sultana. When a bill was enacted into law, this process gave it the approval of each estate of the realm: the Emperor, Counts, and Little People. No individual may be a member of both Council of Counts and Council of the Little People, and Counts are legally barred from voting in elections for members of the Council of the Little People. Imperial Assent of the Emperor is required for all Bills to become law.
Most powers lie with the Council of Counts. All bills except money bills are debated and voted upon in the Council of the Little People; however by voting against a bill, the Council of the Little People can only delay it for a maximum of a year. After this time, the Council of Counts can force the Bill through without the Litte People's consent. Bills supported by the monarch are often proposed by members of the Privy Council who sits in parliament or directly by the Emperor, who sits in the Council of Counts as Count Vorbarra.
The demise of the Emperor automatically brings the Councils to an end, the Crown being seen as the beginning, basis and end of the body; in order to preserve functionality, the demise of the Council of the Little People may be postponed for a month. After each Parliament concludes, the Emperor issues writs to hold a general election and elect new members of the Council of the Little People, though membership of the Council of Counts does not change due to dissolution.
The Council of Ministers and the Council of Counts rule directly Barrayar, although with the limits and constraints originated by autonomy of the Count Districts, while rules indirectly both Sergyar and Komarr. The Council of Counts includes Barrayaran Counts. The Council of the Little People is an elected chamber with elections held every five years.
Establishment in Barrayar
The Establishment in Barrayar is a category of people within the Empire of Barrayar who hold power and/or authority, as well as various key administrative positions in the bureaucracy, running all spheres of those countries' activity. The concept of establishment in Barrayar includes High Vors, ranking military oligarchy, consolidated intelligence community, senior civil servants, senior barristers and judges, senior and famed academics, the most important financiers, merchants and industrialists (including Komarran and Sergyaran ones), leading politicians, members of and top aides to the Imperial Family. The establishment's sphere also includes country's elite civilian politicians and the media moguls. Given the broad reach of the Government, the concept of Barrayaran establishment cannot be separated by the State governance to make appointments to key positions throughout the governmental system.
Deep State of Barrayar
The "Deep State" is alleged to be a group of influential anti-democratic coalitions within the Barrayar political system, composed of senior and authoritative District Counts and business and high-level elements within the intelligence services, Imperial Service, security, judiciary, and mafia. For those who believe in its existence, the political agenda of the "Deep State" involves an allegiance to nationalism, corporatism, and State interests. According to those who support the thesis of the existence of the "Deep State", violence and other means of pressure have been employed in a largely covert manner to manipulate political and economic elites and ensure specific interests are met within the framework of the political landscape; these conncections are shaped by an entrenched belief that the country is always "on the brink". The "Deep State" is not a structured alliance, but the sum of several groups that work behind the scenes, each in pursuit of its own agenda.
The relationship between this "Deep State" and the Emperor is also subject of debate. Some scholars argue that the "Deep State" is the Emperor's hidden fang, other thinkers declare that the "Deep State" is opposed to the Emperor. However, all political thinkers who believe in the existence of the "Deep State" agree in arguing that the political arena where the Deep State fights is in the between the Government of the Empire and the Council of Counts.
Ideological environment
The Empire of Barrayar is a polity which groups several and conflicting worldsviews, ranging from a Nexus-oriented approach, emphasizing individual freedom and autonomy from traditions and society, to conceptions regarding the individual as a mere by-product of the traditions and society. Within this range, there are also intermediate opinions and ideologies concering the so-called "scientific dynamics of oppression".
Slavnye starye vremen
The ideology and movement of the "Slavnye starye vremen" (Barrayaran Russian for Glorious Old Times, Earth Russian: Славные старые времена Slavnyye staryye vremena) is an influential intellectual movement that wants the Barrayaran Empire to be developed upon values and institutions derived from its own history. Advocates of the movements, also known as "Taymers" oppose the influences of the Nexus (and among the Nexus of liberal planets such as Beta Colony).
The doctrines of the Slavnye starye vremen movement hitorically have had a deep impact on Barrayaran culture, including the Revivalist school of architecture and prominent composers. The Slavnye starye vremen theorists struggle for purity of the Barrayaran languages and for the enforcement of the doctrine of the organic unity and intregration between the different parts of the whole Imperium at the expense of individualism, on the basis that opposing groups focus on what is common between them.
The Barrayaran Empire, besides containing Barrayarans, rules over Komarrans and over Sergyarans, in the process of elaborating a their own identity. Towards Sergyarans, the Slavnye starye vremen movement holds the view that they are part of the same Barrayaran nation, while Komarrans are viewed as bringers (as pepole) of indiviualism and disgregation.
The movement also supports a complete rejection of the nihilist, Nexus-inspired movements. A significant fraction of the Slavnye starye vremen movement is in favour to deeply change Barrayaran society by social reform. Theorists of the Slavnye starye vremen movement hold both "democratic" and parliamentarian views and autocratic opions, with some authors (such as Mikhail Vorontin) advocating a return to a police state modelled on the Yuri Vorbarra's reign.
Barrayaran left-wing nationalism
The Barrayaran left-wing nationalism is a political movement of the Barrayaran middle and lower class, involved in agitation against the Barrayaran Monarchy; in some respect they maintain points of contact with the Slavnye starye vremen movement. The Barrayaran left-wing nationalism is also connected with a classical conception of Populism. Critical Barrayaran left-wing nationalismts follow a very flexible stance on capitalism, while Doctrinaire Barrayaran left-wing nationalists have a firm belief that capitalism has no future in Barrayar or in any agrarian country. Both oppose the wage slavery, in which the bourgeoisie has replaced Vor landowners.
Barrayaran left-wing nationalism sees, in some works, the peasantry as the revolutionary class, and perceives the village commune as the embryo of a new society. However, they also believe that the peasantry would not achieve revolution on their own.
Barrayaran left-wing nationalism is the basic ideology of the Barrayaran oldest party, People's Defence League, founded in 2879.