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Premier of Belmonte

Template:Region icon Kylaris The Premier of Belmonte (Luzelese: Premiê de Belmonte), officially the President of the Council of Ministers of the Belmontese Republic (Luzelese: Presidente do Conselho de Ministros da República Belmontesa) is the head of government of Belmonte.

The premiership was created after the 1836 Revolution amid the Riachuelo Agreement, which ensured long-term political stability through the creation of an oligarchic parliamentary system, with General Augusto Cintra becoming the first holder of the office. The post was rotated among conservatives and liberals until the breaking of the agreement in 1906 followed by its abolishment years later in the 1913 Coup together with the establishment of the Berquó dictatorship.

With the creation of the New Republic and the promulgation of the 1935 Constitution, the premiership was restored. While initially under a primus inter pares system, the office saw an increase in its powers over the years, eventually becoming a presidential-like office in a situation that persists today.

The premier is the head of government of Belmonte and is responsible to lead the Federal Government through their Council of Ministers, being appointed by the president under parliamentary confirmation after general elections or after the resignation or incapacitation of the former incumbent of the office, usually but not necessarily being the leader of the party with the biggest number of seats in the National Congress.

Given its importance in domestic and regional decision-making, many specialists regard the Belmontese premiership as a relevant role in the Asterian continent.

Naming conventions

According to the Constitution, the premier's official title is President of the Council of Ministers (Luzelese: Presidente do Conselho de Ministros), often shortened to President of the Council (Presidente do Conselho) in formal correspondence. However, ever since the late 19th century, the unofficial term premier (premiê) has been widely used to designate the office, with other less-used variations being prime minister, state minister or president of the government.

History

The history of the premiership traces back to the 1836 Revolution which deposed dictator Joaquim Durão. Conservative and liberal statesmen, intending to avoid the past repression and instability of the Durão Era, gathered in Riachuelo and drafted the Riachuelo Agreement, an oligarchic agreement aimed at preserving both core interests as well as enshrining them in power rotatingly.

As a result, the presidency's powers were decreased and given to Congress, resulting in the establishment of a parliamentary system with General Augusto Cintra becoming the first holder of the office. Cintra's premiership defined the scope of the office during the Third Republic as a consensus-based post under a primus inter pares system, however, after the 1913 Coup, the office was abolished shortly after.

With the end of the Great War and the establishment of the New Republic, the premiership was restored again under the 1935 Constitution. As time progressed, the previous primus inter pares system was replaced by a more presidential-like premiership which had greater control over the cabinet, a situation solidified in the 80s during the Félix Bragança premiership and present up to current times.

Selection

Qualifications for office

As per the Constitution, the premier must be derived from Congress. Although there are no reservations to the nomination of a senator to the premiership, most premiers during the Third Republic and all premiers from the New Republic were from the Chamber of Deputies.

In order to govern, the premier needs the confidence of both houses of Congress, either through having the majority of seats or through a coalition government with other political parties. If the premier loses their confidence, they are forced to resign or, with parliamentary support, ask the president to declare a snap election.

Appointment

The premier is appointed by the president after general elections or after the resignation or incapacitation of the former occupant of the office, being subjected to a confirmation vote by Congress. Generally but not necessarily, it's the leader of the largest party of Congress, either through having the most seats or through a coalition with other parties, that is appointed, however, the president can appoint other congresspeople as long as the choice has parliamentary support. The are no term-limits for the premiership, with the premier serving as long as it has parliamentary confidence, although general elections must take place every five years.

Role and powers

The premier is responsible to lead the Federal Government through the cabinet. While theoretically under a primus inter pares system, the premiership powers greatly increased since the New Republic, with the office having overall control over the remaining cabinet members. Furthermore, the premier is a member of the Council of State and the National Defence Council, while also being the de facto commander-in-chief of the Belmontese Armed Forces and responsible for directing Belmontese foreign policy at world affairs.

The premier has considerable influence in the creation of budgets and bills sent for review and proposal. Also, the premier is obliged to attend the weekly Premier's Questions, in which the premier answers the questions of deputies regarding current government actions.

Amenities

Style of adress

The formal and diplomatic style of address used to designate the premier is Excellency, a title that is also used to former occupants of the office. The term premier itself is used informally.

Residence

Since 1873, the premier's official residence and workplace is the Bensafrim House, located at the Républica borough in central Castelonovo. Before its construction, all premiers lived in their particular homes and met with the cabinet at Pinhais House, which was demolished to allow the construction of the current residence. However, with the construction of the Aranha Building in the 60s, many premiers have opted to exclusively live in the former and work in the latter.

Salary

Currently, the premier's salary is $24,951 per month.

List

Main article: List of premiers of Belmonte

Living former premiers

There are two living former Belmontese premiers:

• 

  Paulo Gaertner
  (2000-2003)

• 

  Ludovico Rosa
  (2005-2015)

See also

No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Days	Election	Political Party
Third Belmontese Republic (1836–1913)
1		General Augusto Cintra (1794–1881)	18th October 1836	18th October 1856	20 years	1836, 1841, 1846; 1851	C
			The first holder of the office, Cintra was one of the leaders of the Belmontese Revolution that ousted dictator Joaquim Durão out of power and sentenced him to exile. He was one of the main organizers of the Riachuelo Agreement between liberals and conservatives which ensured the oligarchic nature of most of the Third Republic and its long-term stability, assuming the premiership shortly afterwards. His 20-year tenure remains the largest in Belmontese history and was marked by the stabilization of the country and intense economic growth, stepping down in 1856 to be elected president in that same year.
2		Duarte Peixoto (1809–1883)	18th October 1856	26th November 1859	3 years, 1 month and 8 days	1856	C
			Cintra's chosen successor, Peixoto served through a myriad of cabinet posts throughout the former premiership, being elected amid his predecessor's large popularity. However, internal infighting that began after Cintra's departure severely tainted his leadership skills and policies, eventually leading him to be voted out by a motion of no confidence and lose that year's snap election as well.
3		General Cícero de Sá (1799–1877)	26th November 1859	26th November 1864	5 years	1859	L
			A renowned general, Calixto was another leading officer of the Belmontese Revolution and the first liberal leader to be elected since President Plínio Veríssimo in 1828. His premiership was marked by the increase of industrialization and immigration levels in Belmonte, enacting policies that promoted them and the rising urban centres of the time. Nonetheless, without any major events occurring under his premiership, his government was seen as apathetic by most voters, and he was unable to achieve another victory by an energetic conservative leadership.
4		Duarte Peixoto (1809–1883)	26th November 1864	19th February 1866	1 year, 2 months and 24 days	1864	C
			Returning to the premiership after being able to quell most of the party's internal problems, Peixoto resumed the policies of his first premiership, continuing oversseeing the increase of industrialization and immigration that started in the prior government. After a recession that hit the entirety of 1865 and clashes with important members of his cabinet over the year, he was ousted by senior conservative leaders through a motion of no confidence.
5		General Jorge Calixto (1803–1869)	19th February 1866	7th April 1869	3 years, 1 month and 19 days	–	C
			The main responsible for ousting Peixoto out of the premiership, Calixto immediately succeeded him, being partially able to reverse the stagnating situation of the Belmontese economy at the time even though he was capable of maintaining a high popularity among his party and population. He died from unknown natural causes months before the 1869 general election, becoming the first to die in office.
6		Arthur Bernardes (1795–1883)	7th April 1869	26th November 1869	7 months and 19 days	–	C
			Already serving as a caretaker premier days before Calixto's passing, Bernardes continued most of his predecessor's policies and secured the party leadership to run on the upcoming election, but his obscure image towards the general public and poor campaign choices led to his defeat months later.
7		Francisco Gomes (1824–1896)	26th November 1869	15th September 1875	5 years, 9 months and 20 days	1869, 1874	L
			A rising star within the Liberal Party, Gomes was a member of the exalted faction which supported a more reformist agenda. He is credited for modernising the country, restart economic growth and empower urban regions which would further increase immigration and industrialization in the following years, with his biggest contribution being the Electoral Reform Act of 1865 which lowered property qualifications for voting. He was the first premier since Augusto Cintra to be re-elected, but tensions between exalted and moderate liberals led to his resignation a year later.

List of premiers of Belmonte Government of Belmonte National Congress of Belmonte Cabinet of Belmonte