College of State (Montecara)
College of State of Montecara | |
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Colegio di Stado de Montecara | |
File:MontecaraCoA.png | |
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 |
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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 |