Minister-president

Aminister-presidentorminister presidentis thehead of governmentin a number of European countries or subnational governments with aparliamentaryorsemi-presidentialsystem of government where they preside over the council of ministers. It is an alternative term forprime minister,premier,chief minister,orfirst ministerand very similar to the title ofpresident of the council of ministers.

Terminology

In English-speaking countries, similar institutions may be called premiers or first ministers (typically at the subnational level) or prime ministers (typically at the national level). The plural is sometimes formed by adding anstoministerand sometimes by adding anstopresident.

The term is used, for instance, as a translation (calque) of the German wordMinisterpräsident.

Austria

From 1867 to 1918, the first minister of the government was known asMinisterpräsident(minister-president), before thatStaatskanzler(state chancellor). Today the head of theAustrian Federal Governmentis called theBundeskanzler(federal chancellor), while the head of a state government is called theLandeshauptmann(literally 'state captain'), notMinisterpräsident.In thecity-stateofViennathe head of the state government is called theBürgermeister und Landeshauptmann(Mayor and state captain).

See:List of ministers-president of Austria.

Belgium

The term minister-president (Dutch:minister-president,French:ministre-président,German:Ministerpräsident) is also used inBelgiumto describe the head of government of a Belgianregion or linguistic community,but not the head of theBelgian federal governmentwho is referred to as theprime minister(Dutch:eerste minister,French:premier ministre,German:Premierminister).

According to theBelgian constitution,the federal prime minister is appointed by the king, and approved by the federal parliament with a vote of confidence (in practice the king usually appoints the leader of the winning party asformateurto form a government). The federal ministers later swear an oath of allegiance to the king. The ministers-president of the regions and linguistic communities are not appointed by the king, but are directly appointed by their respective parliament. Ministers of the regions and linguistic communities are not required to swear allegiance to the king but simply take an oath in their respective parliament.

See:

• Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region
• Minister-President of Flanders
• Minister-President of the French Community
• Minister-President of Wallonia
• Minister-President of the German-speaking Community

Germany

See also:List of current Minister-presidents of the German federal states

AMinister President(Ministerpräsident) is thehead of governmentin 13 of the 16States of Germany.Exceptions are thecity-statesofBerlin,HamburgandBremen,where the head of government is called, respectively, theGoverning Mayor(Regierender Bürgermeister),First Mayor(Erster Bürgermeister) andMayor and President of the Senate(Bürgermeister und Präsident des Senates). On the federal level, the head of the federal government (with an effectively identical function as leader of the cabinet) is called the Chancellor or FederalChancellor(KanzlerorBundeskanzler). The positions of Minister-president in the German states (during the monarchy days) were mostly established in response to the1848 German revolutions.TheMinister-President of Prussiausually served simultaneously as theImperial Chancellor.

Hungary

The title of Hungary'shead of governmentin Hungarian isminiszterelnökwhich literally translated means "minister-president". However, because "prime minister" or "premier" is the more usual title in a parliamentary system for a head of government in English-speaking nations,miniszterelnökis almost always translated as "prime minister."

Latvia

The Minister president is thehead of government."Minister-President" in theConstitution of Latviaof February 15, 1922, arose when the German termMinisterpräsident(minister-president) was translated; the termministru prezidents(literally 'president of ministers', in Latvian) was coined by the member of theConstitutional Assembly of Latvia,Latvian writerKārlis Skalbe.

Netherlands

In theNetherlandstheprime ministeris officially referred to as "minister-president", although the informal term "premier" is also frequently used. His responsibilities are defined in the constitution of 1848 as thevoorzitter van de ministerraad('chair of the council of ministers'). The title of minister-president has been in use since 1945 and officially added to the constitution in 1983.

Norway

InNorway,Vidkun Quisling,head of thecollaborationist governmentfrom 1942 to 1945 during theGermanoccupationinWorld War II,held the title of Minister-President (Norwegian:ministerpresident).

Russian Republic

During the short livedRussian Republic,the role of a Minister-President was established.Alexander Kerenskywas chosen to lead the provisional government.