In a parliamentary system, such as the Westminster System, the Prime Minister is generally in practice the head of the government while the head of state is largely a ceremonial position. In some monarchies the prime minister exercises powers (known as the Royal Prerogative) which are constitutionally vested in the monarch and which can be exercised without the approval of parliament.
Prime Ministers can be found in both constitutional monarchies (as is the case in the United Kingdom, Norway and Japan), and in republics, where the head of state is an elected or unelected official with varying degrees of real power. This contrasts with a presidential system, where the President (or equivalent) is both the head of state and the head of the government. See also "First Minister", "Premier" which are distinct from "prime minister."
In some presidential or semi-presidential systems such as France, Russia, South Korea or Taiwan the prime minister
is an official generally appointed by the President but approved by the legislature and responsible for carrying out the directives of the President and managing the civil service. In these systems, it is possible for the president and the prime minister to be from different political parties if the legislature is controlled by a party different than that of the president. This is a situation which is known as cohabitation.
In parliamentary systems a prime minister can enter into office by a number of means.
The position, power and status of prime ministers differ depending on the age of the constitution in individuals.
Britain's unwritten constitution makes no mention of a prime minister. Though it had de facto existed for centuries, its first official mention in official state documents did not occur until the first decade of the twentieth century.
Australia's Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act (1900) makes no mention of a prime minister of Australia. The office has a de facto existence at the head of the Executive Council.
Ireland's constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann (1937) provided for the office of taoiseach in detail, listing powers, functions and duties.
Germany's Basic Law (1949) lists the powers, functions and duties of the federal Chancellor.
Contrary to popular and journalistic myth, most prime ministers in parliamentary systems are not appointed for a specific term of office and in effect may remain in power through a number of elections and parliaments. For example, Margaret Thatcher was only ever appointed prime minister on one occasion, in 1979. She remained continually in power until 1990, though she used the assembly of each House of Commons after a general election to reshuffle her cabinet. Some states, however, do have a term of office of the prime minister linked to the period in office on the parliament. Hence the Irish Taoiseach is formally 'renominated' after every general election. (Some constitutional experts have questioned whether this process is actually in keeping with the provisions of the Irish constitution, which appear to suggest a taoiseach should remain in office, without the requirement of a renomination, unless s/he has clearly lost the general election.)
In parliamentary systems, governments are generally required to have the confidence of the lower house of parliament (though a small minority of parliaments, by giving a right to block Supply to upper houses, in effect make the cabinet responsible to both houses, though in reality upper houses, even when they have the power, rarely exercise it). Where they lose a vote of confidence, have a motion of no confidence passed against them, or where they lose Supply, most constitutional systems require either:
A number of different terms are used to describe prime ministers. The German prime minister is known as the Chancellor while the Irish Prime Minister is called the Taoiseach. In many cases, though commonly used, 'prime minister' is not the official title of the office-holder. One common title is President (or Chairman) of the Council of Ministers. Others include President of the Council of State, President of the Executive Council, and Minister-President.
Prime Ministers in both Republics & Monarchies
Method of Entry into Office
The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President of the Republic after consultation and with the parties represented in the Assembly of the Republic, due regard being had to the [general] election results.
Though most prime ministers are 'appointed', they are generally if inaccurately described as 'elected'.Prime Ministers in Constitutions
Exit from Office
The latter in effect allows the government to appeal the opposition of parliament to the highest court in the land, the court of public opinion through an election. However in many jurisdictions a head of state may refuse a parliamentary dissolution, requiring the resignation of the prime minister and his or her government. In most modern parliamentary systems, the Prime Minister is the person who decides when to request a parliamentary dissolution. Older constitutions often vest this power in the cabinet. (In Britain, for example, the tradition whereby it is the prime minister who requests a dissolution of parliament dates back to 1918. Prior to then, it was the entire government that made the request. Similarly, though the modern 1937 Irish constitution grants to the Taoiseach the right to make the request, the earlier 1922 Irish Free State Constitution vested the power in the Executive Council (the then name for the Irish cabinet). Title of Prime Minister
Articles on prime ministers
Lists of prime ministers
The following table groups the list of past and present prime ministers and details information available in those lists.
| Country | Starts 1 | Lifespan2 | Party 3 | Coalition 4 | From-To 5 | Terms 6
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 1914 | - | - | - | years | yes |
| Australia | 1901 | - | yes | - | years | yes |
| Belgium | 1918 | years | - | - | dates | yes |
| Belize | 1973 | - | yes | - | years | - |
| Bulgaria | 1879 | - | - | - | dates | - |
| Canada | 1867 | - | yes | - | dates | yes |
| Croatia | 1990 | - | - | - | dates | - |
| Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia | 1969 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Denmark | 1848 | years (partial) | - | - | years | yes |
| Finland | 1917 | years | yes | - | years | - |
| France | 1815 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Greece | 1843 | years | - | - | dates | - |
| Greenland | 1979 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Hungary | 1848 | - | - | - | dates | - |
| Iceland | 1904 | - | - | - | years | - |
| India | 1947 | - | - | - | years | yes |
| Iraq | 1920 | - | - | - | years | yes |
| Ireland | 1937 | - | yes | yes | years | - |
| Israel | 1948 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Italy | 1861 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Jamaica | 1959 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Japan | 1885 | - | - | - | years | yes |
| Luxembourg | 1959 | years | - | - | years | - |
| Netherlands | 1945 | - | yes | yes | dates | yes |
| New Zealand | 1856 | - | yes | - | dates | yes |
| North Korea | 1948 | - | n/a | - | years | - |
| Norway | 1814 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Papua New Guinea | 1975 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Poland | 1917 | - | - | - | dates | - |
| Portugal | 1980 | years | - | - | years | - |
| Romania | 1862 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Russia | 1991 | - | - | - | dates (partial) | - |
| Spain 7 | 1902 | - | - | - | years | - |
| Sri Lanka | 1948 | - | - | - | dates | - |
| Sweden | 1876 | - | partial | yes | years | - |
| Thailand | 1932 | - | - | - | years | - |
| United Arab Emirates | 1971 | - | - | - | years | - |
| United Kingdom | 1721 | - | yes | - | years | - |
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