Politics of Edvardus
The Holy Empire of Edvardus currently has jurisdiction over the land between the Republic of Berzurkley, Kingdom of Tradia, Sultanate of the Sun Sons, and Armed Republic of Denia1. Politics of Edvardus takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential constitutional monarchy, whereby the Emperor is head of state and the Prime Minister is head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
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The Emperor
The Emperor is the head of state and works with the Prime Minister on foreign issues and the President on domestic issues. The Emperor must promulgate all laws and has no right to veto. Other powers of the Emperor include, but not limited to, granting amnesty, pardon, or clemency, declaring martial law, and conferring honors and decorations.
List of Emperors
| Reign | Common Name | Regnal Name | Personal Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1-50 | Emperor Paul VII | Imperatore Paolo Settimo | Salvatore De Luce | Because he organized the empire amidst the chaos from the previous political order, many consider him a national hero and the father of the empire. The emphasis throughout his reign has been religion & spirituality, social welfare, and law & order. He also strengthened the empire's economy (through a strong auto manufacturing industry), but near the end of his reign, the economy began a slight downward trend. Age at accession: 38. Age at death: 87. |
| Year 51-76 | Emperor Julius IV | Imperatore Giulio Quarto | Donato De Luce | Picking up an economy on the brink of a major recession, Julio's reign thus far has seen a significant increase in taxes and government spending for education, environment, public transport, and social equity. He also expanded the empire's area to its current size (about 8 times larger than its original area). Age at accession: 57. Age at death: 83. |
| Year 76-Year 115 | Emperor Pius XIII | Imperatore Pio Tredicesimo | Francesco De Luce | Picking up an empire at it's worst economic situation ever and highest tax rate, he brought the economy out of a recession that plagued his father's reign. The tax rate has been at 100% near the end of his reign. Died within a year of contracting malaria and became the oldest reigning monarch. He popularity reached heights unseen since the days of Paolo VII. Age at accession: 50. Age at death: 89. |
| Year 115-Year 137 | Emperor Marcellus III | Imperatore Marcello Terzo | Kristopher De Luce | The oldest heir apparent to accede the throne up to this point. His reign was marked with an isolationist approach to international relations and the expansion of the space program. Age at accession: 59. Age at death: 81 |
| N/A | The Crown Prince Sandro | N/A | Sandro De Luce | First heir apparent to die before acceding the throne. Cause of death determined to be heart attack. Age at accession: N/A. Age at death: 49. |
| Year 137-145 | Emperor Innocent XIV | Imperatore Innocenzo Quattordicesimo | Rinaldo De Luce | Becoming the youngest heir apparent to accede the throne, his stances were seen as very militaristic. This deviated from Edvardus's long standing tradition of non-aggression. This has also caused the Holy See to not recognise Edvardus as a Catholic state. He is also the first to accede the throne as a bachelor. Age at accession: 21. |
| Year 145-173 | Emperor Rinaldo I | Imperatore Rinaldo Primo | Rinaldo De Luce | Forced to change regnal name or else face excommunication from the Pope. This pressure was due to Rinaldo's passing legislation that was not in-line with the teachings of the Church. Strengthened the economy of Edvardus to its strongest ever with a record per capita GDP, trade surplus, and value of the dollaro. Age at death: 58 |
| Year 173-234 | Empress Valeria | Imperatrice Valeria | Valeria De Luce | First female monarch of Edvardus, proposing a new direction for Edvardus. Her reign has been marked as one in which the Edvardian economy saw consistant growth despite continued population decline, but also mired by political party filibustering in Parliament. Highly regarded by many as great as Emperor Paolo due to her ability to hold the empire together through a civil war. She also was a firm champion of democracy throughout the empire and rarely used her right as monarch to force legislation through Parliament. Not only is she the longest reigning monarch (61 years, previous record of 49 years held by Emperor Paolo) but also the oldest (previous record of 87 years held by Emperor Paolo). Age at accession: 28. Age at death: 89 |
| Year 234-present | Empress Mona | Imperatrice Mona | Mona De Luce | Due to legislation signed by her mother, Mona (and her siblings) will not use her father's surname, Romano, nor shall her mother. This is to distinguish the royal family as the House of De Luce, regardless of marriage. Having much less powers than her predecessors due to the formation of the confederation, she gained much experience ruling the empire in the latter years of her mother's reign. She is also the oldest heir apparent to accede the throne (previous record of 59 held by Emperor Marcello). Age at accession: 62 |
| N/A | Crown Prince Rocco | N/A | Rocco De Luce | The first male apparent since his great-grandfather Emperor Rinaldo I. |
| N/A | Prince Flavio | N/A | Flavio De Luce | Named for his blonde hair. First member of the royal family born after the formation of the confederation. |
Executive Branch
It is headed by the Prime Minister and has a Deputy Prime Minister (on the national level; on the confederate level, they are the President and Vice President), and eight cabinet ministers, various chairpersons of commissions, and five to seven ministers without portfolio as its members. The vice president, ministers, and chairpersons are appointed by the Emperor on the recommendation of the President. The President presides over the Cabinet. The President's official duties also include presenting administrative policies and reports to Parliament, responding to the interpellations of legislators (much like Question Time in some parliamentary systems), and, with the approval of the Emperor, asking Parliament to reconsider its resolutions. Laws and decrees promulgated by the Prime Minister must also be countersigned by the President.
In the event of vacancies in both the Prime Ministry and the Deputy Prime Ministry, the Emperor serves as Acting Prime Minister of the confederation for up to three months.
One-third of Parliament may initiate a no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister. If approved with simple majority, the Prime Minister must resign from office within ten days and at the same time may request that the Emperor dissolve Parliament. If the motion fails, another no-confidence motion against the same Prime Minister cannot be initiated for one year. This power has never been used. In practice, the Prime Minister has enough legitimacy and executive authority to govern in the face of a legislature controlled by the opposition, and would likely respond to a vote of no-confidence by nominating another person with similar views.
The Prime Minister is responsible for conducting foreign relations, such as concluding treaties, declaring war, and making peace.
Ministries:
- Interior
- Foreign Affairs (on the national level; on the provincial level it is the Interprovincial Affairs)
- Defense (formerly National Guard)
- Finance
- Education
- Justice
- Economic Affairs (on the national level; the provincial level only handles trade with other provinces)
- Transportation and Communications
List of Prime Ministers
| Prime Minister | Begin | End |
|---|---|---|
| Heinz Müller | Year 1 | Year 4 |
| Cal Smith | Year 5 | Year 8 |
| Mitch Williams | Year 9 | Year 12 |
| Kenneth Martin | Year 13 | Year 16 |
| Jules Dubois | Year 17 | Year 20 |
| Iñigo Dias | Year 21 | Year 24 |
| Dmitri Nowak | Year 25 | Year 28 |
| Salvador Garcia | Year 29 | Year 32 |
| Dante Ricci | Year 33 | Year 36 |
| Joaquin Hernandez | Year 37 | Yeah 40 |
| Fernando Gonzalez | Year 41 | Year 44 |
| Diego Sanchez | Year 45 | Year 48 |
| Carlos Rivera | Year 49 | Year 52 |
| Andres Gomez | Year 53 | Year 56 |
| Pedro Flores | Year 57 | Year 60 |
| Zorion de Silva | Year 61 | Year 64 |
| Amaro dos Santos | Year 65 | Year 68 |
| Zetta Oliviera | Year 69 | Year 72 |
| Nantai Ortiz | Year 73 | Year 76 |
| Amadi Kuti | Year 77 | Year 80 |
| Mukasa Neogy | Year 81 | Year 84 |
| Kimoni Dibango | Year 85 | Year 88 |
| Rohan Patel | Year 89 | Year 92 |
| Kersen Lim | Year 93 | Year 96 |
| Rizal Tan | Year 97 | Year 100 |
List of Presidents
| President | Begin | End | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Guiterrez | Year 1 | Year 6 | Müller |
| Sky Johnson | Year 7 | Year 12 | Smith |
| Corbin Lefebvre | Year 13 | Year 18 | Martin |
| Stanislaus Kowalski | Year 19 | Year 24 | Dubois |
| Miguel Fernandez | Year 25 | Year 30 | Nowak |
| Giancarlo Ferrari | Year 31 | Year 36 | Garcia |
| Estaban Martinez | Year 37 | Year 42 | Hernandez |
| Hidalgo Lopez | Year 43 | Year 48 | Gonzalez |
| Ricardo Perez | Year 49 | Year 52 | Rivera |
| Luis Ramirez | Year 53 | Year 60 | Gomez |
| Inigo da Costa | Year 61 | Year 68 | da Silva |
| Djavan Souza | Year 69 | Year 72 | dos Santos |
| Odakota Morales | Year 73 | Year 78 | Ortiz |
| Mahari Achebe | Year 79 | Year 84 | Kuti |
| Fabunni Ombale | Year 85 | Year 90 | Dibango |
| Sanjeet Singh | Year 91 | Year 96 | Patel |
| Bayanai Cruz | Year 97 | Year 102 | Tan |
Legislative Branch
National Assembly
Members to the National Assembly are elected for six-year terms by the electorate.
Parliament
see: Legislation passed by Parliament
Parliament has the power to pass all ordinary legislation. The current and 79th Session of Parliament has 300 members, all elected by a popular vote. All members serve three-year terms.
A common scene in the news consists of ministers being asked harsh questions by legislative committees. Legally, the Executive Branch must present Parliament with an annual policy statement and an administrative report. Parliament may also summon members of the Executive Branch for questioning.
Whenever there is disagreement between Parliament and the Executive Branch, Parliament may pass a resolution asking the Executive Branch to alter the policy proposal in question. The Executive Branch may, in turn, ask Parliament to reconsider. Afterwards, if Parliament upholds the original resolution, the President must abide by the resolution or resign. The Executive Branch may also present an alternative budgetary bill if the one passed by Parliament is deemed difficult to execute.
Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court consists of 15 Grand Justices, two of which also serve as the President and Vice President of the Court. Appointed by the Prime Minister of Edvardus, the President and Vice President, along with six other justices serve four-year terms. The other seven Justices serve eight-year terms.
Political Parties
Arab Baath Party
Founded in Year 175, the Arab Baath Party blends strong conformance and interdependence. People in this category will tend to have strong opinions about enforcing the moral order (religious conformance, strict family values, lesser freedom of expression, law enforcement...)
Their position translates into stronger support for social programs, state ownership (nationalized industries), unions, and goverment intervention (industry regulation) than one typically sees from the UCCP. They, however, stops short of wishing to realize the proletarian revolution.
The Arab Baath Party strives to sustain a nation based on a specific notion of political legitimacy (i.e. Islam). At times, they imply that the Islamic state is better than the non-Islamic state and that all Muslims are citizens of the state (and all non-Muslims are not).
Union of Christian and Centre Democrats
Founded in Year 57, the UCCD blends conformance and interdependence in moderation. People in this category will tend to have balanced and moderate opinions about enforcing the moral order (religious conformance, family values, lesser freedom of expression, law enforcement...) and about expanding collective initiatives (social programs, industry regulation, nationalizations...).
Their belief of republicanism describes what is more commonly called a representative democracy; it restricts the term "democracy" to refer only to direct democracy. For this reason, Republicans want to preserve existing class structures and delineations while also in favor of a highly regulated capitalist market economy, but with a strong and large government (moderate interdependence).
Republican Party
Founded in Year 156, the Republican Party balances conformance and independence. People in this category will tend to have balanced opinions about enforcing the moral order (religious conformance, strict family values, lesser freedom of expression, stricter laws...) and about favoring individual initiatives (lower taxes, less corporate and environmental regulations, ...).
They believe in an economic ideology based on a tripartite arrangement of a market-based economy based predominantly on economic incentives through free markets, a democratic polity and a conservative moral-cultural system. This economic system supports a mainly capitalist market economy, with some limitations (i.e. regulations) created according to the will of the public (which is expressed through a democratic process).
