Government of the Byzantine Empire (Byzatium)
| Government of the Roman State in the East | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Established | 1889 |
| State | Byzantine Empire |
| Leader | Prime Minister of the Roman State in the East (Emilios Anasteas) |
| Appointed by | Emperor of the Romans (Alexios X) |
| Main organ | Cabinet of the Empire |
| Ministries | 20 |
| Responsible to | House of Representatives |
| Headquarters | Martyrs' Avenue, 24, Costantinople |
Government of the Roman State in the East (commonly known as the Government of the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Government or Imperial Government) is the central government of the Byzantine Empire. The government is led by the Prime Minister of the Roman State in the East (currently Emilios Anasteas) who selects all the other ministers]]. The country has had a Christian Democratic-led government since 2012, with successive prime ministers being the then leader of the Christian Democratic Party. The prime minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the Cabinet.
Ministers of the State are responsible to the House of the Representatives; they make statements in that House and take questions from members of that House. The government is dependent on Parliament to make primary legislation, and general elections are held every five years to elect a new House of the Representatives. After an election, the monarch selects as Prime Minister the leader of the party most likely to command the confidence of the House of the Representatives, usually by possessing a majority of MPs.
Under the Byzantine constitution, executive authority lies with the sovereign, although this authority is exercised only after receiving the advice of the Consistory and of the Roman Senate. The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the police and military high command serve as members and advisers of the monarch on the Consistory.
History
The Byzantine Empire is a constitutional monarchy since 1889 in which the reigning Emperor makes few open political decisions on its own. The majority of the political decisions are taken by the government and Parliament.
Since the start of Alexios VIII's reign in 1910, by convention the prime minister has been an elected member of Parliament (MP) and thus answerable to the House of the Representatives.
Government and the Emperor
The Emperor is the head of state, but not the direct head of government. The Emperor takes little direct part in open governing the country and officially remains neutral in most political affairs. However, the authority of the state that is vested in the Emperor, remains as the source of executive power exercised by the government.
In addition to explicit statutory authority, the Emperor also possesses a body of powers in certain matters collectively known as the Imperium Maius. By convention, a majority of these powers are delegated from the sovereign to various ministers or other officials, who may use them without having to obtain the consent of Parliament.
The Prime Minister also has weekly meetings with the monarch, which, as with all communications between the Emperor and his Government, remain strictly confidential.
Imperium Maius powers include, but are not limited to, the following:
Domestic powers
- The power to appoint (and, in theory, dismiss) a Prime Minister. This power is exercised by the Emperor personally. By convention they appoint the individual most likely to be capable of commanding the confidence of a majority in the House of the Representatives.
- The power to appoint and dismiss other Ministers. By convention this power is exercised by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- The power to assent to and enact laws by giving imperial sanction to bills passed by Parliament, which is required in order for a law to become effective).
- The power to give and to issue commissions to commissioned officers in the Imperial Armed Forces.
- The power to command the Armed Forces.
- The power to appoint and dismiss members to the Consistory.
- The power to issue, suspend, cancel, recall, impound, withdraw or revoke Byzantine passports and the general power to provide or deny Byzantine passport facilities to Byzantine citizens and Byzantine nationals.
- The power to commute and pardon any conviction.
- The power to grant, cancel and annul any honours.
- The power to create corporations (including the status of being a city, with its own corporation) by Imperial Decree, and to amend, replace and revoke existing charters.
Foreign powers
- The power to make and ratify treaties.
- The power to declare war and conclude peace with other nations.
- The power to deploy the Armed Forces overseas.
- The power to recognise states.
- The power to credit and receive diplomats.
Ministers and departments
As of 2019, there are around 120 department heads (including Ministers), supported by 560,000 civil servants and other staff working in the 20 ministerial departments and their executive agencies.
In theory a government minister does not have to be a member of Parliament. In practice, however, convention is that ministers must be members of either the House of the Representatives or Roman Senate in order to be accountable to Parliament. From time to time, prime ministers appoint non-parliamentarians as ministers.
Government in Parliament
The government is required to maintain the confidence of the House of the Representatives. It requires the support of the House of the Representatives for the maintenance of supply (by voting through the government's budgets) and to pass primary legislation. If a government loses the confidence of the House of the Representatives it must resign. The support of the Roman Senate is not vital to the mandate of the Government but it is useful. The House of the Representatives is thus the responsible house.
The prime minister is held to account which provides an opportunity for MPs from all parties to question the PM on any subject. There are also departmental questions when ministers answer questions relating to their specific departmental brief. Committees hold the government to account, scrutinise its work and examine in detail proposals for legislation. Ministers appear before committees to give evidence and answer questions.
Government ministers are also required, when Parliament is sitting, to make major statements regarding government policy or issues of national importance to Parliament. This allows MPs or Senators to question the government on the statement.
Location
The prime minister is based at 24 Martyrs' Avenue, Costantinople. Cabinet meetings also take place here.
Limits of government power
The government's powers include general executive and statutory powers, delegated legislation, and numerous powers of appointment and patronage. However, some powerful officials and bodies are legally more or less independent of the government.
Nevertheless, magistrates and mayors can still be arrested for and put on trial for corruption, and the government has powers to insert commissioners into a local authority to oversee its work, and to issue directives that must be obeyed by the local authority, if the local authority is not abiding by its statutory obligations.
In addition to legislative powers, the Imperial Government has substantial influence over local authorities and other bodies set up by it, by financial powers and grants. Many functions carried out by local authorities, such as paying out housing benefit and council tax benefit, are funded or substantially part-funded by central government.