Government of Lihnidos
| Government of Lihnidos | |
|---|---|
| Κυβέρνηση της Λιχνίδος | |
 Logo of the Government of Lihnidos | |
| Role | Executive power |
| Established | 10 January 1827 |
| Country | Empire of Lihnidos |
| Appointed by | Monarch |
| Main organ | Council of Logothetes |
| Responsible to | Lihnidosi Bouleuterion |
| Constitution instrument | Imperial Directives 1197 - 1203 |
| Cabinet | |
| Members | Zarou Government |
| Archon and Grand Logothete | Fania Zarou |
| Number of members | 19 (2022) |
| Administration | |
| Working language | Lihnidosi |
| Location | Arcadia, Lihnidos |
| Seat | Palamaras Mansion (since 1946) |
The Government of Lihnidos (Lihnidosi: Κυβέρνηση της Λιχνίδος) is the central government of the Lihnidosi Empire that exercises executive power. The government is led by the monarch, archon, and grand logothete and consists of additional logothetes and government appointees who facilitate day-to-day government function. The current monarch is Stella II and the current archon and grand logothete is Fania Zarou. The Lihnidosi government is currently led by the Democratic Coalition with the Coalition of Progressive Socialists participating as a junior member. The archon, grand logothete, and logothetes are all members of the Council of Logothetes, the main organ of the government.
The grand logothete and logothetes are responsible to the Bouleuterion and must be members of the legislature to hold their positions. The government relies on the Bouleuterion to pass legislation that support its agenda. General elections take place every four years unless the monarch dissolves the Bouleuterion and calls for a general election sooner. Following elections, the monarch selects the leader of the party most likely to command the confidence of the Bouleuterion to be grand logothete. By convention, the grand logothete is also granted the position of archon.
Under Lihnidos' uncodified constitution, the monarch holds supreme executive authority. All members of the government serve at the pleasure of the monarch and can be dismissed at any time. Since 1946, the monarch has delegated increasing authority to parts of the elected government and Council of Logothetes to exercise power through its leadership of government departments.
Composition and formation
The Lihnidosi government is led by the monarch, archon, and grand logothete. All members of the government are appointed by the monarch, however, by convention, many government appointees are appointed on the advice of the archon and grand logothete. While the monarch is the head of state, and officially is the head of government, many of the powers and duties of the head of government have been delegated to other offices. In practice, the archon is considered to be the head of government while the grand logothete is the head of the elected government and Council of Logothetes. Since 1946, both the position of archon and grand logothete have been held by the same person. While the monarch has the power to appoint whomever they desire to the position of archon, in practice the officeholder is the same individual as the grand logothete who commands the confidence of the Bouleuterion. Once a grand logothete has been confirmed by the monarch, they must submit a list of proposed logothetes to head the government ministries. These logothetes can either be accepted or rejected by the monarch, as can any other government appointees proposed by the archon and grand logothete.
The Government and the Crown
The Lihnidosi monarch, currently Stella II, is the head of state, sovereign, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. According to the collection of imperial directives that constitute Lihnidos' constitutional documents, the monarch is also the head of government with all government power being derived from the Crown. In practice, since the creation of the Bouleuterion in 1920, increasing amounts of authority have been delegated to the archon, making the holder of that office the de facto head of government. This allows the monarch to take a limited role in political affairs if desired, similar to that of constitutional monarchies. In such cases, the monarch can act in a symbolic role while still retaining the right to intervene in government affairs.
Lihnidos' constitutional documents do not limit the power of the monarch. Instead, the collection of imperial directives commonly referred to as the constitution detail the structure of the elected government and the powers they are allowed to exercise with the consent of the monarch. These directives are able to be revoked or modified by the monarch at their discretion. As such, Lihnidos' form of government can be described as an absolute monarchy despite being a constitutional monarchy in practice.
As the monarch can delegate much of their executive power to government appointees, the monarch has weekly private meetings with the archon to discuss matters of the government and has the option of attending meetings of the Council of Logothetes. Weekly meetings between the monarch and archon allow the monarch to express their opinion on the government's activities and direct the archon to make changes to government policy if desired.
The powers that are commonly exercised by the monarch include, but are not limited to, the following:
Domestic powers
- The power to appoint and dismiss an archon.
- The power to appoint and dismiss a grand logothete. Since 1946, the monarch must appoint grand logothetes who can command majority support in the Bouleuterion.
- The power to appoint and dismiss logothetes and other government employees. This power is often exercised on the advice of the archon.
- The power to assent to and enact laws by giving royal assent to bills passed by the Bouleuterion. Any bill to which royal assent is withheld does not become law.
- The power to call for referendums.
- The power to command the Armed Forces. This includes the power to issue and revoke commissions to commissioned officers. These powers are often exercised on the advice of the archon and logothete of national defense.
- The power to chair sessions of the Council of Logothetes.
- The power to dissolve the Bouleuterion and call new elections.
- The power to issue pardons and commutations.
- The power to issue, suspend, or revoke Lihnidosi passports or citizenship.
- The power to direct and administer their private household.
- The power to grant or revoke honors.
- The power to grant or revoke hereditary titles in the peerage of the Empire of Lihnidos.
Foreign powers
- The power to make and ratify treaties.
- The power to direct the Armed Forces overseas.
- The power to declare and conclude war with other nations.
- The power to credit and receive diplomats.
- The power to recognize states.
- The power to institute sanctions against other nations.
Government in the Bouleuterion
The government is expected to maintain the confidence of the Bouleuterion. A loss of confidence in the government by the legislature may result in the government's inability to pass legislation and the passage of a motion of no confidence. In the event that the government loses the confidence of the Bouleuterion it is expected to resign or call for a general election. Any member of the Bouleuterion may present a motion of no confidence in the government, however the motion is not required to be voted on unless presented by a member of the Prytaneion.
The grand logothete and logothetes must be members of the Bouleuterion with the grand logothete being elected by the legislature.. These members of the Council of Logothetes are responsible for briefing the legislature during regular sessions and submitting themselves for questions from Bouleuterion deputies. Deputies are permitted to submit questions to the grand logothete regarding any government matter, however questions to logothetes are expected to be limited to the logothete's ministry and area of expertise. Logothetes are also expected to be available to answer questions from Bouleuterion committees regarding proposed legislation or ministerial work.
Although rarely used, the government has the ability to propose legislation directly to the Bouleuterion without review by committees. By tradition, this power is only used to propose legislation deemed vital and time sensitive. All other legislation, proposed by the government or other members of the legislature, must go through committee. Legislation that is passed by the Bouleuterion is reviewed by the government before being sent to the monarch. The government may decide whether to recommend the monarch sign the legislation or use their veto power.
Council of Logothetes
The Council of Logothetes is part of the executive branch of the Lihnidosi government. The Council is comprised of a number of government ministers and other officials appointed by the monarch. Most members of the Council serve as the head of an imperial ministry, however there are additional government appointees who are often permitted to attend Council meetings. The Council is chaired by the archon, however the elected government is led by the grand logothete. Prior to the government reforms of 1946 the position of archon and grand logothete were held by separate individuals, however following the reforms the positions are typically held by the same appointee. The monarch is permitted to attend any and all meetings of the Council, during which they lead the proceedings.
The Council of Logothetes, in conjunction with the monarch, is responsible for setting the domestic and foreign policy of the government. The Council writes many of the bills that are presented to the Bouleuterion for consideration and is also tasked with reviewing all legislation passed by the legislature before it is sent to the monarch. While the Council cannot veto legislation, it is able to submit recommendations to the monarch on whether or not legislation should be signed into law. The Council also provides advice to the monarch on the direction and actions of the Lihnidosi Armed Forces.
The Council is required by law to meet once a month, although in practice the body often meets weekly. Meetings of the Council typically take place on Tuesday mornings at Palamaras Mansion, however meetings that the monarch chooses to attend are often held at the Imperial Palace. Council meetings follow a standard format with each meeting being split into three or four sessions. The first session sees the Council discuss matters related to individual ministries and ministerial decisions. During the second session the Council discusses matters of the Bouleuterion, including debate on bills and the weekly legislative schedule. The third session will often contain time for general conversation between those in attendance. This can include discussions on domestic or foreign affairs and gives members a chance to give advice to the archon or monarch. Occasionally, there will be a fourth and final session where a logothete will be given time to present information on a specific project being undertaken by their ministry.
Ministries
While the government is responsible for the direction of the nation, much of the work is done by individual ministries. Logothetes are responsible for directing and overseeing the work done by their ministry. Each ministry has its own staff which can number into the tens of thousands. The administrators of each ministry that assist the logothete are also government appointees. While the monarch has the authority to make these appointments, they are often left to the discretion of the archon or logothete in-charge of the ministry. The composition of the ministry and its administrative hierarchy is determined by the ministry's logothete. It is common for ministries to work together to accomplish the government's policies and implement law.
There are currently eighteen ministries led by logothetes, however the number of ministries is subject to change. The archon, with the permission of the monarch, is permitted to create or dissolve government ministries. The most recent creation of a ministry was in 2016 when the Ministry of National Security was created. The duties of the Ministry of National Security had previously been held by the Ministry of the Interior.
Requirements
Members of the Council of Logothetes are appointed by the monarch. Members appointed to hold positions as logothetes are appointed on the advice of the archon. Other members of the Council who do not hold the position of logothete are appointed by other means, either solely by the monarch, solely by the archon, or through another process.
Members of the Council who are appointed as logothetes must be members of the Bouleuterion and meet the requirements to be a member of the legislature. Other members of the Council, while not required to be a member of the Bouleuterion, must still meet the requirements to be a member of the legislature. These requirements include being at least twenty years of age, a citizen of Lihnidos for at least five years, and being able to speak fluent Lihnidosi.
Current government
The current government is led by Archon Fania Zarou. Zarou has served as the Leader of the Democratic Coalition since 2002. Zarou was appointed as archon on November 7, 2022, after the Bouleuterion passed a motion of confidence in her government. Her party had previously won a plurality in the 2022 general election. Negotiations between the Democratic Coalition and Coalition of Progressive Socialists resulted in a coalition majority government.
Crown Council
The Crown Council of Lihnidos is one of the main advisory bodies of the government. The Crown Council primarily advises the monarch on matters of domestic and foreign policy, however the body has no decision-making authority in most circumstances. The Crown Council is comprised of all members of the nobility who hold duchy-level titles or higher. There is no requirement for how often the Crown Council must meet and the meeting format is decided by the monarch.
Prior to the reforms of 1946, the Crown Council held significant influence over government policy and functions. The President of the Crown Council also held the position of Archon of Lihnidos and was considered the official head of government instead of the grand logothete. The Crown Council often determined the direction of the nation instead of the elected government and the legislature. Following the reforms, most of the Crown Council's powers were transferred to the elected government, but remained an advisory body to the monarch.
Under the Lihnidosi monarchy's semi-elective monarchy system, the Crown Council is responsible for confirming the monarch's selected successor. According to Lihnidos' constitutional documents, if authorized by the monarch, the Crown Council could also supplant the legislature and elected government during states of emergency or martial law.
Location
The headquarters of the government is located in Palamaras Mansion in central Arcadia. Palamaras Mansion is the location of the archon's office and is where most meetings of the Council of Logothetes are held. Government ministries are located elsewhere in Arcadia, with most having their own building.
Budget
The government is responsible for presenting a yearly budget to the Bouleuterion to fund government ministries and their operations. The government is the only body permitted to draft and present the yearly budget. The budget is required to be submitted at least three months prior to the expiration of the previous budget. Following the initial presentation of the budget, the Bouleuterion is tasked with debating the government's proposal and either approving, rejecting, or proposing modifications to it. If the Bouleuterion chooses to reject the budget, it is seen as a loss of confidence in the government and would normally require the government to resign or for a general election to be called.
The budget is managed by the Ministry of the Treasury. In preparation for the drafting of the budget, logothetes must submit funding requests to the Treasury Ministry. The ministry, in conjunction with the archon and its logothete, will decide whether to approve or reject funding requests. Following the passage of the yearly budget, additional legislation may be presented to the Bouleuterion to increase or decrease spending that was previously approved. These bills are not required to be submitted by the government, however they do require approval by both the Bouleuterion and the government.
Provincial and local government
There are multiple levels of elected local authorities in Lihnidos. The principal administrative division in Lihnidos is the province. Lihnidosi provinces are administered by provincial councils comprised of seven elected councilors. Each provincial council is led by a provincial archon. Provincial archons are one of the seven members of the provincial council who is designated by the council to be the provincial executive. Provincial councils have limited authority delegated by the national government. Councils are primarily responsible for administering allowances from the national government, managing the province's education system, maintaining infrastructure, and ensuring the proper functioning of local services. In all other respects, provincial councils are subordinate to the national government and are responsible for enacting national policy on the provincial level. As Lihnidos functions as a unitary state, provincial councils do not have the authority to create their own laws and can be created or dissolved at the discretion of the central government.
Provinces are further divided into counties and municipalities. Counties are government by a county commission comprised of three elected county commissioners while municipalities may have an elected municipal council or municipal executive. Both levels of division have powers more limited than that of provinces and are generally responsible for public works and services.