College of State (Montecara)

College of State of Montecara
Colegio di Stado de Montecara
File:MontecaraCoA.png Coat of arms of Montecara
Style	Excellency (collectively) Honorable (individual members)
Status	Head of government
Seat	Palaço Pùblico
Term length	3 years, no term limit
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Montecara
Salary	Ł182,121 (€35,710) per month
Website	colegio.go.mc

The Colegio, in full Il Colegio di Stado de Montecara (translated variously as "The College of State of Montecara" or "The College of the State of Montecara" but usually left untranslated in its short form), is the collective head of government and executive cabinet of Montecara. It is composed of seven members, called councillors (consilièri, sing. consilièr), each of whom heads an executive department, but makes decisions and implements policies as a whole. Discussions are held in private, and dissensions are not made public. The Councillor of State presides at meetings of the Colegio and is first in its order of precedence, but has no formal power over the other members.

The Colegio is served by a secretariat that includes a handful of offices which support the work of the executive as a whole. These include the statistics bureau, the executive legal department, and an administrative staff attending to logistics, scheduling, public relations, and various other aspects of day-to-day operations.

Election

Councillors are elected individually by the Senate. While anyone qualified to vote in Montecara can, in theory, be elected, the Senate almost invariably chooses from among its ranks. Each senator may nominate a candidate for each position in the Colegio, after which the Senate uses a form of exhaustive ballot wherein the candidate receiving the fewest votes is eliminated in each round until one candidate secures a majority.

Councillors serve for three-year terms and are not subject to the confidence of the Senate. There are no term limits, and councillors are routinely reelected for two to three terms before deciding to step down.

Powers

The Colegio is responsible for setting government policy, most importantly by submitting legislation to the Senate and Popular Assembly. Each councillor is responsible for preparing matters related to their juridiction and presenting the rest of the Colegio with the information necessary to make an informed decision, though they are also responsible for matters related to the functioning of the nation as a whole. Legislative proposals are prepared by the relevant councillor and circulated for review among the others as well as the senior civil servants in each secretariat prior to formal deliberation. The Colegio is also empowered to invite testimony and advice from outside itself and to hold public consultations if it so chooses. Once the Colegio is satisfied with a proposal, it may be submitted first to either the Senate or to the Popular Assembly, although in practice the overwhelming majority of proposals are first presented to the Senate.

If a councillor is unable to carry out their functions, a high-ranking official from within the councillor's secretariat will attend sessions until they are able to resume their duties or a replacement is elected by the Senate. At least five councillors must by law be present in Montecara at all times, so travel abroad must be carefully coordinated. Councillors are legally immune for statements made in an official capacity but are not immune from criminal prosecution.

Compensation and amenities

Each councillor collects a salary set by law at 100% of the monthly salary of the Gonfalonièr. For fiscal year 2020-2021, this amounted to Ł182,121 (€35,710) per month. Additionally, work expenses such as travel, a dedicated and secure cell phone and laptop, and security are paid for by the state.

Unlike many heads of government, councillors do not have official residences or dedicated government vehicles for their use domestically. Councillors are expected to live in their own homes and commute to work like any other Montecaran, and are often seen using public transportation. Their security detail is usually non-existent when going about daily business, though the Dragòni can be called upon for protection when required.

Current composition

In order of precedence

Portrait	Incumbent	Term began	Office Portfolio
	Odeta Luciàn	16 April 2019	Councillor of State Consilièr di stado Secretariat of State
	Ansèlma di Meglie	16 April 2016	Councillor of Finance Consilièr da finànsa Secretariat of Finance
	Tulio Brucàt	16 April 2013	Councillor of Defense and Security Consilièr da difèsa eia segurèsa Secretariat of Defense and Security
	Emilio Grèce	16 April 2016	Councillor of Trade and Industry Consilièr di tràfego eia endùstria Secretariat of Trade and Industry
	Teodòr Marelucè	16 April 2019	Councillor of Social Protection Consilièr da protexòn soçiàl Secretariat of Social Protection
	Francesca Zetici	16 April 2019	Councillor of Planning and the Environment Consilièr da urbanìsma eia anbiènt Secretariat of Planning and the Environment
	Gemma Antolìn	16 April 2019	Councillor of Education and Culture Consilièr da creànça eia cultùra Secretariat of Education and Culture